The Wings Of the Black Dragon
by Chrys Stone
Summary: This is the final book of the Dragon Royal trilogy, the last adventure, the final battle. Every mage will put their very life on the line to bring this senseless and hidden war to it's end. Stand strong and destroy the Black Dragon! (Vote on my profile page for or against an epilogue!)
1. Chapter 1

I would like to start by saying thank you to those who read faithfully. I promise not to disappoint you during this last installment.

Strap on your seat belts kids, we are in for a rather bumpy ride!

Bring it on!

~Chrys

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Chapter 1: Civilization

Fiore, is a land where many Mage guilds flourish, but for one certain guild's circumstances guild they trouble seems to revolve around its core members no matter the circumstance. Rumors had been flying around about the infamous Mages guild, Fairy Tail, and the supposed absence of the three most unique members of said guild. Wendy Marvel, Gajeel Redfox, and the notorious Salamander, Natsu Dragneel, the resident Dragon Slayers.

Reports of the trio venturing out of an S-ranked Mission, where no details were to be reveal even to the member of the guild themselves, had spread far and wide. Several attempts had been made to appeal to Laxus Dreyer as well as Lucy Dragneel for details on what kind of mission could keep the trio away for more than three months, but the only comment either had given were. "That information is classified. Have a good day" or in Laxus's case. "To hell if I know, piss off!"

Inside the Guild, tensions were running high, as no word of the Colony had come in for over a week. The ever present feelings of foreboding cast an eerie shadow over the faces of the guild members, as they patiently waited for their comrades to return. Time was ticking away, and each mage did his or her best to prepare for the battles that were drawling nearer by the day.

The sun cast long shadows on the earth, signs of dusk coming to wrap the earth in the blanket of night.

From the woods appeared a group of nine cloaked figures covered in mud and remnants of melted snow.

Slowly they made their way to entered, Oleander, a small town in the Kingdom of Seven. (located north east of Fiore) The town lay nestled against the great Western Mountains of Seven. Being a town shadowed by a great mountain, the traveler's found it to be nearly vacant.

With their hoods pulled over their faces, the group made their way to the only inn located in the small town. Silence filled the air as they walked through the town. The crunch of fresh snow was the only sound to break the serenity of their little hike.

When they found the inn, the thought that it was larger than expected came to their minds simultaneously. The wood work suggested that the building was well taken care of, and the delicate paper screen doors gave it an elegance that was unlike the rest of the small town.

"Excuse me ma'am, can we have your largest room, if it is still available ." A female voice asked as she set a large purse on the counter. The little old woman who seemed to be taking a nap jumped a little as it clanked loudly. "We will only be spending one night, that should be substantial compensation for the accommodations." The old woman looked at the purse for a long minute before surveying the traveling companions. Once she was satisfied with her observation the old woman offered a smile, she hopped down from her seat and motioned for the group to follow.

"Yes, yes dear, right this way." She took a moment to bow, as did the travelers. "I have just the perfect room for you lot." The old woman offered another kind smile before they set off walking down the halls of the inn. With out warning the old woman stopped. "You are fortunate to find the only hot spring this far beyond Fiore." The old woman gave a child like giggle, as she opened the screen door to the room.

"Do you offer food ma'am, we are rather tired and hungry from our travels." The female asked, keeping her face hidden behind her cloak.

"Of course dear! I will bring some up in a little while, you and your companions, just enjoy the bath." The old woman smiled sweetly before she closed the doors.

The second the click resounded through the room, a collective breath was released, and a pink hair man threw off his cloak with a tired smile on his face.

"Man, I'm beat!" Natsu stretched his arms high above his head with an exaggerated yawn, before falling face first in the middle of the room and swiftly drifted off to sleep. The females giggled at the man's antics.

"Aye, sir!" Happy yawned as he walked over and flopped down right next to Natsu, curling into a cute ball before falling asleep himself.

"Hot springs! Hot Springs! Hot springs!" Levy cheered in a sing-song voice, prancing around happily, as she threw off her cloak. She immediately ran to the back door, sliding it open to have a look. Sure enough they were given a room with a private entrance to the springs, as well as their own private out door showering area. "Ladies first!" She pulled her pack off before grabbing Wendy and Lucy on her way back out the door. "Come on Charle!" She hollered over her shoulder.

"Make sure Natsu doesn't eat all the food before we're done, ok Laxus!" Lucy called before the screen door was pushed closed again. The female mages made their way over to the changing area, Levy stripped down as they walked.

"This is amazing! Look they have robes out here! Sweet, we don't have to go back in to get changed!" Levy was ecstatic to not only get a hot shower, but also to get a good soak in the hot spring. Maybe she would finally get the dirt out from under her nails, and get the matted dirt clean from her short blue locks.

"This must be the Honeymoon suite, either that or the presidential suite. It's certainly VIP standard." Lucy joked as she let the shower run over her sore body. Wendy turned to the other to and just giggled cheerfully as she cleaned herself.

"We are only three days walk, max from the mountains!" Levy exclaimed joyfully as she eased herself into the springs, a satisfied 'aww' escaped her lips as her muscles loosened in the warm liquid.

"If we keep to our schedule, we could probably make it in a little over two." Lucy stretched before lowering herself into the water next to Levy.

"Lucy-nee when we are done I wanted to show you that magazine I picked up, it the issue of Sorcerer that featured Levy's wedding, and you!" Wendy smiled brightly as she jumped into the spring, splashing the other two in the process. "There is a large article with pictures! I've been holding on to it for MONTHS now!" Wendy continued, as Levy and Lucy splashed her in the face.

Laxus leaned against the wall, keeping his cloak on, he listened to the conversation the girls were having, just to make sure they weren't trying to hiding anything from their other companions. He was still unsure of his cousin's actions, and knew she could hide the pain when necessary.

Three more days, were they finally that close? It had been longer than they had originally expected, much longer actually. So far they had run into several groups of bandits, large winged beasts, and even a pack of Valkons. It was worthy training for the two weakest of the group, but they had been slowed down considerably, they were two months behind schedule to be exact. Everyone was on high alert now that they were finally drawing near to their destination, any more distractions might cost them more than they were willing to pay.

Gajeel seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Laxus, keeping his cloak wrapped tightly around himself. Gajeel threw a blanket over the idiot who fell asleep in the middle of the floor, to keep the old woman from asking questions. He then took the opposite side of the room, protecting the main entrance. The men stayed silent, listening to their female companion enjoy the first real comforts they had been able to find in weeks.

There was a knock at the door. "You're dinner Miss" the old woman called.

"We are in the spring, can you bring it into the table for us?" Lucy called from out back. The door slide open, the old woman and a much younger woman (Probably her grand child) came in with trays of food. Laxus saw the blankets twitch, but Natsu seemed to stop in his tracks. Laxus smirked to himself, knowing that Lucy probably scolded him silently.

"Will there be anything else tonight, Miss?" The old woman bowed at the main door.

"Thank you, that is all." Lucy called. The old woman excused herself, closing the door on her way out. Laxus waited a few moments for verification. "It's safe now, Natsu if you eat more than your share I will punish you severely!" Lucy hollered, returning to her soaking. The lump under the blankets shuttered before coming out to look at the food.

Laxus removed his cloak, reaching over to grab his cousin's pack, he quickly shuffled through it to find the communication lycrima. He pulled it up to his face and connected to Fairytail, Mira-Jane's face came into focus "Laxus?" Mira sounded a tad bit disappointed. "Where's Lucy, I have things to update her on!" Mira's brow furrowed as she waited for a reply.

"Well hello Mira-jane, yes I'm doing very well! Nice of you to ask. How is everything going with you?" Laxus mocked, sarcasm dripping from every word. Mira gave him a stern look still waiting for him to get Lucy. "She's in the bath right now, can you just give me the update on Gramps, it's been more than a week since the last time we got to contact you." Laxus tried to contain his irritation, but he knew he was being louder than he wanted. It really didn't matter though, Lucy could just listen through his thoughts if she wanted.

"He's stable, even flirting with his 'pretty nurses' if you know what I mean" Mira laughed at the thought. "We are taking good care of him." Laxus relaxed a bit at the good news.

"Can you let him know we are about three days from our destination?" Mira nodded with a happy smile. "Also tell him that we'll try to make it back faster than we got here." Laxus smirked as Gajeel and Natsu shot twin glares in his direction.

"Of course, everyone will be elated to here that you will be coming home sooner rather than later. Oh, Laxus, can you tell Lucy that Cana is still abstaining for her training, she hasn't even asked for a drink this past week. Everyone has been working hard! It's kind of odd you know to see you walking around but knowing it isn't you... Jellal has your old personality down to a science I swear!" Mira giggled before continuing. "Oh and let her know I caught two ice mages out by the lake looking rather cozy. Ultear seems proficient in playing Lucy, too! We miss you all, can you tell them that?" Mira giggled, causing Laxus to shake his head, leave it to Mira to play match maker at a time like this. "Oh and tell her that Erza has been taking care of the paper work this week! It's actually been easy since Natsu hasn't been around to destroy anything!" Natsu growled before shoveling more food into his mouth.

"She probably already knows. Anyway I've got to cut this short, keep up the good work!" Laxus looked over to the door as it opened. Lucy nodded making her way to the table. "Bye Mira." Laxus put down the lycrima and went over to the table. Natsu had finished his portion and gone back to sleep in a matter of minutes. "I don't get what you see in him Lu." Laxus poked the fire mage in the stomach with a grimace.

"You're a guy, I hope you don't see what I see." Lucy couldn't help but giggle as her cousin shot her a heated glare. In some ways Laxus wanted to pretend that Lucy was still the same little girl he had trained with as a child, so talking about adult things made him some what uncomfortable. "Come on, Natsu is a wonderful person and you know it! He is loyal, honest and loving. Not to mention he is great at a lot of other things." This comment made Levy giggle, and Laxus choked trying not to relieve the churning of acid in his stomach.

"Eww. I don't need to hear that!" Laxus turned back to the table of food. "Man I don't even know if I can eat now." Laxus continued to complain playfully.

"Really? More for me then!" Lucy giggled when Laxus quickly scooped up his portion of the meal, despite his earlier protest.

"Hey Lu-chan..." Levy looked over at her friend with a critical eye.

"W-What?" Lucy asked nervously looking down at herself.

"..."

"Levy-chan you are acting like a weirdo!" Lucy squirmed under the gaze of her friend.

"Have you been sneaking extra portions?" Levy tilted her head trying to get a better look. "It looks like you put on a pound or two." Levy teased, poking Lucy in the side. Lucy's face turned bright red, as she crossed her arms over her chest. Wendy let out a squeak from Lucy's other side.

"I agree with Levy-nee! You do look like you gained some weight!" The younger girl pointed to Lucy's upper half. "I've noticed that you are leaving an extra button undone!" Wendy giggled. Lucy glared at her two friends before taking her portion of food over into the corner, grumbling about people being mean.

Once Gajeel and Laxus were finished eating they headed out to the spring for a much needed bath. Lucy decided to kick the sleeping Natsu and Happy out to join them before the dirt of their clothing and hair got incrusted in the floor.

The three female mages and Charle pulled out the mats and set them up around the room. Over their months of travel a routine had formed, and assigned sleeping places were developed. Once their work was finished Wendy pulled the Magazine out of her bag and brought it to the others. Wendy flipped through till she found what she was looking for.

"Oh look here is the article I was telling you about!" Wendy handed the magazine over to Lucy, with a sly smile.

"Big Changes at Fairytail!

-Violet Brant

I have been most fortunate to be invited to the Fairytail Guild once more to interview a certain Celestial Spirit Mage. Though it has only been a few months since my last encounter with Mrs. Lucy Dragneel, it seems a lot has happened in this span of time.

Many rumors have been circulating recently about changes for this infamous guild, and I was given the privileged of getting the truth from the source itself. It has been officially announced that there are two candidates for the Fifth seat as Master of Fairytail.

Laxus Dreyer- Grandson of the current master. He is a formidable mage with Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic. Though he has only recently been reinstated to the guild, hopes for his assent to Master are high when speaking to his guild mates. He is a man shrouded in mystery, as not much is know about his personal endeavors, he seems to keep his work life and personal life separated, so not many that I interviewed were able to give me any details. Laxus gives off a cold demeanor, and stands away from the crowd as though he is watching over them. He is a brave and prideful mage, and there for stiff competition! He has often been referred to as one of the strongest mages Fairytail has to offer!

Lucy Cassiopeia Dreyer Dragneel- Long lost grand daughter of Master Makarov. She is the most powerful Celestial Mage, holding the title of the Celestial Queen. Her magic is on a level I have never seen before. She holds all twelve of the Zodiac spirit keys as well as the Crystal Key of the Celestial Goddess. Lucy is able to summon any spirit at will, I have observed her personal protectors for myself, they acknowledge themselves as the Celestial Royal Guard. They consist of four of the most powerful Spirits of the Celestial Realm. And this is only her holder magic. Lucy possesses a Celestial Magic that is akin to that of 'Heavenly body' that the escaped convict Jellal Fernandez is known to use. I have witnessed her sense of justice and pride, as she punished Three Mages who had abused their contracted spirits. She wields a golden blade that should strike fear into the hearts of any of her enemies. From the conversations I have had with Master Makarov, he desires Lucy to be the one to follow in his foot steps.

I was fortunate to get the opportunity to sit down one on one with Mrs. Dragneel, she graciously shared her story with me in the hopes of setting things right from my last article about her. Her past is a sad one, and I will be honest that just remembering the look on her face as she spoke of her family brings tears to my eyes. The woman I met at her wedding only a few months ago, seems to have developed layers that I never dreamed imaginable. Not only is she able to smile no matter the situation, she is merciful and forgiving as well.

Her life is truly inspirational, and she is only in the beginning chapters of her tale. I wish her all the Luck in the world as she faces off with her cousin Laxus in the battle for the Seat of the Fifth Master of Fairy Tail!"

Lucy looked over the pictures of her match against the Celestial Mages, and found that Violet had captured a shot of her fighting Bastion as well. A satisfied smile crept over Lucy features as she continued to read about Levy's wedding.

"SO?" Wendy put her face in front of the magazine with a smile. Lucy let out a laughed before answering.

"And Vulpi doubted my plan! It worked like a charm!" Lucy put the magazine on the floor in front of her before standing to stretch.

"You planned all that?" Levy looked at her friend in disbelief.

"Most of it, I knew the three were looking for me the second I voided their contracts." Lucy's smile faltered momentarily. "Bastion on the other hand, I wished I had known that it was him, but the damage to his thoughts is so sever that it impairs my ability to understand him at long ranges." Lucy looked uncomfortable for a minute, but shook it off with a smile. "Well that should serve as a deterrent for any mage who had hopes of picking a fight while we are gone. Hopefully the knowledge that Laxus and I are going to be present at the guild in competition will be scary enough to keep unwanted guests away." Lucy crossed her arms over her chest laughing at her genius.

"Alright Mrs. Evil Overlord, I'm going to bed now." Levy rolled her eyes before making her way over to Gajeel by the back door. Panther Lily settled down into her lap before they curled up on the mat to sleep.

"I'm going to bed as well." Wendy rubbed her eyes before making her way to her mat in the corner where Charle was already settled in for the night. Lucy yawned and moved to snuggle next to her snoring husband.

"Night." She closed her eyes, letting her fatigue catch up to her.

Laxus propped himself against the wall, right next to the door. He knew that he would sleep lightly in order to kept on guard. He vowed to protect his family with his own hands and by heaven and hell, he'd be damned if anything happened to them because he let himself relax in the comforts of the inn. The room fell nearly silent, save for Natsu and Happy's snores.

(Lucy's dream)

I was laying down on something soft and comfortable, my body was tired and worn. Pain suddenly engulfed my entire body, causing me to scream out in agony.

"Just kill me!" I screamed, the pain was more than I could bare. "Please, just kill me!" My mind was in a fog from over exertion and fatigue, I opened my eyes, temporarily blinded by the brightness of the room.

"Luce, no one is going to kill you, so stop asking." Natsu seemed nervous as he grabbed for my hand.

Breath...

"Lu-chan just a bit more and you'll be ok, promise!" Levy said from the opposite side of the room. I tried to look at her, but another wave of pain cut off all thoughts. I screamed out against the pain, gritting my teeth.

Breath...

"I'll give you something for the pain, Lucy-nee, just hang in there!" Wendy wiped the sweat from her forehead as she worked. The pain intensified, and I found myself unable to breath.

So much Pain...

Need to breath...

God it HURTS!

"Lucy! You need to breath or you'll pass out!" Natsu's voice became a panicked squeak as he patted my face with a damp cloth.

Breath...

"M-M-Ma-k-ke i-i-ttt STOP!" I screamed as another wave of pain consumed me.

Lucy shot up breathing heavily. Quickly she looked over her limbs taking stock that everything was where it was meant to be, and in one piece. She cursed loudly looking around the room. Her eyes fell on Laxus who was looking right back, eyes blurry with exhaustion and worry.

"What was this one about?" His voice was hoarse from lack of sleep, but coated in pure concern.

"I was in a room, in excruciating pain, begging for death. Levy and Wendy were trying to help, but the pain only got worse. It hurt more than when I got caught by my own explosion." Lucy sighed, laying back down on her mat. "I felt so scared." Lucy stared at the ceiling. "It hurt so much I couldn't breath."

"Don't worry, if you saw Wendy there then I'm sure she was doing her best to heal you." Laxus kept his voice even, and tried his best to sooth his cousin's nerves. "You should go back to sleep, it's still early." Laxus gave his cousin a tired smile which she returned.

"I'll take guard duty for a while, you need to sleep a little too or you'll be no good to us." Lucy laughed, as she made her way over to the door. Her mind continued to play her dream over and over, analyzing every aspect for some clue as to what had been going on. She desperately wanted to know why she was in so much pain, and why her magic wasn't enough to heal it. After all she could heal herself now, she didn't need Wendy, unless she had used all her magic supply... could she have truly run out her magic supply? Lucy watched the others sleep on in peace.

**Flash back**

"Lucy, are you ok now?" Wendy grabbed on the the older woman, tears pouring down her face.

"What happened?" Lucy rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm. "Where are we anyway?" She looked around and shivered against the cold.

"Lyra put you into some sort of Magical Coma." Natsu who had backed away so Wendy could examine his wife said from his spot on the ground. "We've already passed over the board into Seven."

"How long have I been asleep?" Lucy's voice became panicked.

"Two weeks, it's been a pain carrying you, brat." Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest.

"GAJEEL!" Levy smacked her husband with her bag before turning to her friend. "It doesn't matter how long you were out, how are you feeling?" Levy watched Lucy as she tried to remember what happened.

"Vulpi! I have to apologize!" Tears spilled freely from the blondes eyes. There was a familiar puff of smoke, revealing four figures.

"It's not that Bad, Lucy. I've already healed a long time ago." Vulpi gave her his best goofy smile. "What kind of friend would I be if I couldn't handle a little fight anyway." Lucy rocketed across the space, throwing her arms around the fox.

"I'm so sorry I lost it like that! I promise from now on I call Lyra to sing to me instead of fight!" The four spirits gather Lucy in a tight hug. "How is Grampa, please tell me he's ok."

"Mira says he is stable, but he'll be bed ridden for a while." Loke answered. "The old man won't give in that easily." This brought a smile to her face.

"Thank goodness." Lucy turned back to her other companions, running over and wrapping her arms around Natsu. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it!" She buried her face in his jacket.

"I already knew that." He offered a soft smile, wrapping his arms around her waist. "We are going to stop at the inn in this town, do you think you can walk now?" Lucy pulled back and laughed.

"We are going to head back. Call if you need anything." Loke said with a wink.

That night they rented three rooms, giving the couples some much needed alone time.

**End**

When the sun rose in the morning, Natsu was the first out of bed. He looked around and found Lucy sitting on guard duty, her eyes were half closed. "Luce I'll take over, go lay down till the old lady brings up breakfast." Natsu made his way over to Lucy who let out a large yawn. She got up and wrapped her arms around her husband.

"Thanks, I guess I am getting tired again." Natsu buried his face in her neck breathing in deeply. He stopped for a moment and pulled back.

"You feeling ok Lucy?" As if on cue Lucy felt her stomach churn.

"I'll be ok, just need some rest." She smiled weakly before making her way over to cuddle with Happy. Natsu watched with curiosity, that was a strange dreams she had last night. Natsu had developed a habit of inspecting her dreams after the first couple week of their journey, because Lucy wouldn't always talk about them openly. Some were gruesome, depicting people getting ripped to shreds by dark hooded figures, others were happy and light, where Lucy and her friends sat around a table in the guild gossiping.

The one that had really worried Natsu the most was a dream she had not that long ago, he remembered the fear that crept into his stomach as he watched her memories.

(Lucy's dream)

It was raining...

The sound of water hitting the roof of the Church echoed around them, the sky was crying, giving it's last farewell.

They were surrounded by figures hooded in black, the sounds of sobbing echoing painfully in their ears.

Lucy stood in the cemetery, crying, she held on tightly to Natsu's arm as she sobbed.

The name on the grave wasn't clear, but the date of death was X794.

Natsu looked around, trying to hold back the tears, but a small voice calling out broke him and he fell to his knees eyes spilling over.

The rain beat down on them, the other figures fading away. Only Lucy Natsu and the small voice remained in front of the grave.

He hoped that he was wrong about who's grave they were standing in front of, but deep down he knew he was right. Lucy wouldn't look away, she held on as though releasing Natsu's arm would allow the world to end.

The rain pounded against them, beating the harsh reality of loss into their hearts.

(end)

Natsu wrapped his cloak around himself, when he heard a knock at the door. "Miss we've brought breakfast for you and your companions." The little old lady called.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Lucy replied from her space on the floor. "Would you be so kind as to leave it there, I'm afraid one of my companions is not feeling well, I would rather not risk your health any further." The old woman wished the young lady good health and made her way back to her post. Natsu waited for the signal before opening the door to gather the food.

"Breakfast!" He yelled waking the others up. "As soon as we are done, we should get out of here!" There was a murmur of agreement as the nine companions dug into their food.

::A/N:: In case you are wondering why they are hiding themselves with cloaks, the answer is that they are famous, and don't want to get recognized. The land of Seven is technically to the East of Fiore, but the Mountain range I'm talking about is North of Magnolia. If you get confused let me know and I'll send you a link to a map of Earthland! Anyway, they will be getting to the Dragon King's Lair with in three days so long as things go according to plan. haha that's silly, to think anything would be easy for this gang. Let me know how it is!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Dragon's lair

"Hurry up, we are almost there!" Lucy called back to her companions. The cliff was steep, but she had managed to climb this far with out falling, so she pressed on. Only a few feet remained between Lucy and the cave that opened up to the dimension of the Lair of The Dragon King. Excitement coursed through her veins. She had waited so long for this day, and nothing was going to slow her down now. Lucy struggled, but made it to the edge of the cliff, pulling herself over and onto flat ground once more. Natsu was only a heart beat behind her, gasping slighting in the high altitude, his heart pounding wildly in anticipation.

As soon as everyone was standing together once more Lucy smiled towards Natsu. "He's in there." Lucy pointed to the enormous cave. Natsu took a deep breath and grabbed her hand, to steady his nerves.

"We need to stick together." He yelled back to their companions. It took a moment before everyone was holding onto something belonging to another in the group. "Ready, now lets go!" Natsu cautiously enter the cave, his nose twitched as the air around them became stale. As they continued, Natsu could sense the world they called Earthland fall away. They continued to walk on for what felt like hours. When the tunnel opened up once more, the group found themselves gasping at what lay in front of them. A description of what came into view was difficult to put into words, even for Lucy, who was an author.

"Wow." Was the most intelligible response to the sight.

Where the Realm of the Celestial Goddess had been in eternal night, The Lair of the Dragon King was bathed in mid day sun shine. It felt like a warm summer day, with a light breeze blowing the leaves of the trees near by. The forest was more vibrant than any the group had ever laid eyes on, with rich greens and earthy tone of brown. Wendy took a deep breath, the air was pure and clean, the tastes was so sweet, this brought a smile to her face. They looked off into the distance to see several mountains covered in lush greenery till the summits which were capped in snow. It was picturesque to say the least, the most beautiful sight any had laid eyes on.

A gust of wind startled the group out of their daydreams. "So you've finally made it here, Natsu." The red dragon named Igneel stood tall and proud, towering as high as Lucy's apartment building, before the group. "You all have grown." Igneel chuckled at the shocked faces of the young humans. Within moments his appearance shifted, and before them stood a tall man with long hair as red as Erza's, his black eyes showed no emotion (all black, like demonic looking *shiver*) yet a smirk played across his face, showing sharped canines that looked very similar to Natsu's. Igneel surveyed the group for a long minute before turning to walk away. Natsu and the others followed without question, eager to get the answers they all desperately longed for. They walked for miles though the dense forest keeping as close to the Dragon as possible.

Lucy marveled at the way the light shined down through the trees, casting shadows on the moss coated rocks and trees. Mentally Lucy made a note that she wanted to come back out here with her note book and pen, to describe the beauty of such a place on paper. Maybe it would come in handy for her novel. A smile crept across her face, while she continued to walk, completely content with the atmosphere.

When they came to a clearing, Lucy could hear the sounds of running water, and chattering and bickering of sorts. Before them stood a large group of people ranging in size from enormous to nearly fitting in the palm of your hand. A table had been set out with enough chairs for everyone, food was piled high, as well as tankard filled with some liquid, none would ask what it was till much later. "Come." Igneel motioned with a broad grin. It only took moments before Wendy and Gajeel sniffed out their dragon parents, cheers and laughter broke out as they were introduced to the rest of Natsu's colony.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves properly." Lucy said, elbowing Natsu in the ribs. He stared at her for a moment before laughing nervously.

"Right... Well I'm Natsu Dragneel, Igneel's s-um, grandson. This here is Lucy, my wife. The angry looking Blonde is her cousin Laxus Dreyer. The Metal face over there is Gajeel Redfox, and that's his wife Levy. And there is the youngest, Wendy Marvel. And these three guys here are our Exceed pales, Happy Charle and Lily." Natsu pointed to each person as he introduced them. Lucy twitched with irritation as he finished, smacking Natsu upside the head.

"Is that really how you're supposed to introduce your FAMILY to people?" She growled. "At least try to be nicer!" Natsu shrank back at her tone murmuring sorry.

A sharp bark of laughter made them turn to see Igneel holding his stomach.

"It's good to see that I placed my grandson in the care of such a feisty female. Ah, you are just like your mother." Igneel sat down at the head of the table motioning for the others to take their seats as well. "I know you have questions for me, but that can wait. I think this is an occasion that calls for some celebrating!" Igneel gave the others a wide toothy grin before everyone began to dig into their meals.

Slowly the other dragons were introduced to the group, Lucy found them all fascinating, especially Draco the Celestial Dragon. She knew it must have been difficult for such a creature to choose between the realms, being both Spirit and Dragon. "Being a Spirit Dragon is not that bad, Lucy. And I have always preferred the mountains of the Dragon's land to the open oceans and flat plains of the Celestial realm." He explained brushing his long golden hair behind an ear. Lucy was in awe of his beauty, (yes men can be beautiful) his pale skin seemed to glow in the mid day sun, and his amber eyes shined as he gave Lucy a devastating smile that made her knees shake.

Natsu was none to happy at his wife's reaction, but bit his tongue while they continued to talk. He kept himself entertained with eating as much as he could get his hands on. So far it had been the best meal he had eaten in months. Natsu was starting to believe that Laxus enjoyed depriving him of delicious food, as Laxus had been in charge of food for training as well as their more than three month journey. He found himself sighing as he drained his third tankard of what he assumed was ale. A full stomach was something that would make asking difficult questions easier, and maybe he could finally relax and get some real sleep when they were finished their discussions.

Happy kept himself busy next to Natsu, with a pile of fish. From time to time he would look over the table to watch his companions catch up with their respective dragons. A small knot formed in his stomach as he observed Gajeel and Natsu, neither had spoken a word since they had come into this world, and he knew that something was going to break at some point, he knew that Natsu at least would need to address Igneel sooner or later.

Levy found herself talking to the smaller dragons, they looked like little pixies in her eyes, and she was fascinated. "There are all sorts of dragons! For example we are called earth dragons, because we can control the earth element itself." The female called Abra explained. "It's a lot of fun to transform into a humans, it's been a very long time since we had an occasion that called for it." She smiled as she took a slice of bread and began tearing off small slices to eat. She was adorable with rich brown curls that hung loosely over her golden skin, down her back, her dress looked like it was made of discarded sunflower petals. Her eyes were startlingly clear shade of topaz, framed with thick lashes. Levy giggled and continued to converse with Uruloki and Terenius, two of the male earth dragons, about the different aspects of being an Earth Dragon.

Wendy and Charle spent their time with Grandeeney (Grandine), and Icilo the frost dragon. Wendy told them about the skills she had been working on and the spells which she still wasn't ready to master. "Lucy-nee brought me a few spells that the ancient Sky dragon used. I am lucky to be able to study such advanced magic" Wendy smiled brightly, beaming with pride as she spoke.

Both Dragons praised her for the work she had accomplished at such a young age. The sky dragon wrapped Wendy into her arms in a tight embrace burying her face into her young daughter's hair. Wendy's heart felt like it might explode form happiness as she inhale her long lost mother's scent.

Charle kept her mouth shut, listening closely to her best friends conversation. She held pride in how far Wendy had progressed since joining Fairy tail, but she would be lying if she tried to say she wasn't still a tad bit over protective.

"It sounds like you are a very driven young human, maybe we could train together, I would love to show you some tricks that you can add the the wind magic you are already familiar with." Icilo mused while putting a large hand on Wendy's head. She shivered as the temperature around her dropped, Icilo retracted his cream white hand with a dashing smile. Wendy was entranced by his crystal clear soft blue eyes, that seem to bore into her dark brown ones.

"Really would you do that for me?" Wendy was over joyed, she smiled brightly as she jumped across the table to give him a hug.

Gajeel and Lily remained quiet watching the others, from beside Gajeel's foster father. Something wasn't sitting right with his stomach, and he couldn't put his finger on it, which cause the dragon slayer slight irritation. Everyone seemed so happy and full of life, had they forgotten the reason they journeyed here in the first place. He had felt the calm glide over all of them as they walked through the forest, but he would not allow himself to let his guard down, no matter where they were.

"It is shameful isn't it?" The iron dragon scoffed while inspecting his nails. "You'd think that Igneel would want to get straight to business, but no, he has to make us all 'mingle' first." The harsh tone in his voice gave Gajeel a slight chill. Mentally he wondered if he was beginning to go soft, or if his father had become more cruel in his 14 year absence. Either way, Gajeel was sure that things weren't the same as when he was left alone in this world, by the only 'person' he had viewed as family before meeting Levy and the others. Gajeel made no attempt to reply, as he continued to observe his friends. He picked at the food, and took light sips of his drink while maintain a vigilant monitoring of Levy.

Laxus found himself conversing with Umbros, a dragon specializing in poisons, and Constantine a lightening dragon. It was fascinating to observe the different types of dragons, and how they related to each other. Laxus was the only one in the group who was a new age dragon slayer, which sometimes made him feel out of place with the others, though he would rather bite off his own tongue than admit it out loud. Deep down he held a great respect for the three younger mages who were brought up by some of these amazing creatures.

"So you have slayer powers because of a lycrima..." Umbros mused aloud, the idea seemed to catch his attention as Laxus explained his powers. "I bet if you trained hard you could increase your skills to that of a slayer trained in the old ways." Laxus crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eye brow at the two dragons.

"I'm pretty damn powerful as it is." Laxus said in his bored tone.

Umbros and Constantine looked at each other and smiled.

Laxus allowed a smile to escape at the idea of being trained properly, maybe this trip could turn into something more that just an escort mission.

A loud cough broke up the conversations around the table, as Lucy raised from her seat.

"So the main reason we are here is to break Natsu's seal." Lucy turned to Igneel, setting on a business like expression.

Silence fell over the table as every eye turned to look at the Dragon King. Igneel leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table his right hand cradled his chin, while he used his left to emphasize the words he spoke.

"That would be difficult to do in the outside world, I am glad you decided to come here to take care of it. It will give him more time to heal." Igneel took a long look at his grandson before moving to stand. "Your skills have improved, but you still have a long way to go." The dragon shook his long red mane, before looking around the table.

"I have to ask, is time in this realm the same as the Celestial Realm?" Lucy asked in a slightly less confident tone. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she hoped that it wasn't opposite, like the sun and moon, because then the time would be slipping through their fingers, and their battle would be drawling nearer by the second, they would have to face enormously powerful foes before they were truly prepared.

"It is not the same." Igneel answered, Lucy felt her stomach drop at the answer. "Time nearly stops completely here." Lucy's eyes widened for a moment as she had not expected such a response.

"So time doesn't pass by the outside while we are here?" Levy questioned, having just as much trouble wrapping her mind around the concept as Lucy outwardly seemed to be.

"Not completely, but it feels that way to us." Igneel gave a goofy grin. "Well then, I suppose we should get to work. After all that is the real reason you all have come."

Natsu stood up from the table and walked over to stand in front of his grandfather. He kept his eyes focused on the ground for a long moment, unsure of himself as he made his decision.

Those gathered at the table gasped in shock when a fist connected with the side of Igneel's head. A sickening crack echoed around them as Natsu's eyes finally lifted to make contact with Igneel's. The dragon didn't retaliate, he only gave the pink haired mage a frown.

"Do you know how much misery you have cause me, and everyone else?" Natsu's eyes were narrowed in his anger. Natu's fist balled tighter when Igneel did not answer. Natsu's fury grow as he waited, his knuckles turning white as his finger nails bit the pads of his calloused hands. When a few minutes had passed and there was still no response, Natsu pulled back his fist landing another hit to Igneels temple, followed by another and another. No one moved as Natsu vented his rage, throwing punch after punch, all aimed for Igneel's face.

"Feel better now Natsu?" The dragon wiped a line of blood away from his mouth, a frown marring his handsome features.

"Tell me why you had to do it?" Natsu huffed breathlessly. "Why did you have to make everyone suffer so much?" He kept his hands balled into fists, blood dripping on the ground from his raw knuckles.

"When we are finished breaking the seal you will understand why Layla and I made the decisions we did." Igneel turned to call the others to join them. "I suppose it's time." Igneel lead the group up stream to a cascading waterfall. He stopped taking a measured breath before wading out into the thigh high waters.

Lucy automatically moved into position, steadying her nerves as she knew what to expect.

"Wendy I will need your support for this." Lucy took a deep breath before calling Gemini.

"How can we help?" They chorused, bobbing up and down in a silly little dance.

"I need you to help heal Natsu, can you take on my form?" The two merged and nodded once they took on Lucy's appearance. This would be the easiest path, because Gemini would automatically know what to do, and would be the best support in this trial.

Natsu walked over to the waterfall and seated himself on the slick rocks closing his eyes and letting the roar of the water wipe away any anger he still held. Igneel waded out to stand in front of his grandson, the flame that he had just ignited around his hand was then placed on Natsu's forehead. Natsu gritted his teeth as the flames took over his body, surging high and burning so hot it evaporated the water before it could hit the Dragon Slayer's body.

"Wendy don't use to much magic, no matter how bad thing may look! Gemini and I can handle the majority, just keep an eye on our vitals!" Both Lucy and Gemini waded into the water, golden light acting as a barrier from the heat till they reached Natsu. An earth shattering scream ripped through the air, as Natsu's skin began to burn away. Lucy worked tirelessly to heal and restore what was damaged, before it got a chance to damage muscles or organs. A swirling of gale force wind encircled him increasing in force as each seal broke. Similar screams ripped through the air as Lucy's body began to burn as well. She did her best to keep a balance between healing Natsu and healing herself.

_(Memories from the broken seals some of Igneel's memories are mix in)_

* * *

><p><em>The smell of blood caught my nose, I rushed through the forest allowing my nose to lead me. The smell grew, and my stomach churned at the sight of the tiny pink haired toddler I knew to be my Grandson laying nearly lifeless. The blood was still spilling from his throat where he had been cut. I shifted to my human form and picked the small child up in my arms. He whimpered in pain, keeping his eyes closed. "Mama" was the only word he uttered. Fury ran through my veins as I lite a flame to cauterize the wound. At least I could stop the bleeding. <em>

_"Wretched child! Has her denial gone so far that she would kill her only son?" My mind was in turmoil, unsure of what to do next. In a moment of sheer panic I decided to take the child to the only human I trusted. "I hope Layla can do something for you." _

_When I arrived, the young boy had already grown pale and weak, his whimpering stopped completely. _

_"Layla please can you help him?" Layla lay in her grand bed, eyes tired from her work. _

_"He is weak Igneel, but I sense that he will be ok with rest and nourishment. If you would have shown up any later his blood loss would have surely taken him." The blonde woman leaned back on her bed, stroking the hair of the toddler fondly. "He is a fire mage." She stated simply. There was a cry from a cradle in the corner of the room. "Little Lucy is awake it seems." A fond smile spread across her face, lighting her tired eyes. _

_Igneel walked over to look at the newborn baby, her skin was fair just like her mother, and her golden locks were barely visible making her look bald. Igneel leaned over and gathered the child into his arms. "It's good to see you survived little one" The dragon cooed rocking the crying child on his way back to her mother. _

_"Igneel, this boy is half dragon isn't he?" Her smile faded away. _

_"He is my grandson, so yes." Igneel came to sit in the chair near the bed, cradling the now sleeping baby Lucy._

_"My little one is half spirit." Layla picked up the small boy and brought him closer to her chest. "Do you know what this means?" _

_"Are you sure?" Igneel knew what she meant, no one had to voice it aloud, Layla and he had tried and failed. Their mission was resulting in the degeneration of Layla's body, thus she had already officially retired from being a mage, and left in this weakened state. _

_"I am sure, take the boy and train him well, I can feel it already. They both posses powers neither you nor I have ever dreamed possible. I will make sure to train my Lucy just as hard." The too held out their hands, with a shake they made a pact to bring them up to be strong enough to accomplish what their predecessors could not. "What is the boys name?" Layla brushed the shaggy locks from the little boys face to get a better look._

_"His parents called him some ridiculous name like Seamus or something." Igneel made a face that showed his distaste. _

_"So what will you call him?" Layla's eyes ghosted up to meet Igneels black eyes._

_"Natsu, I think, he will be the summer breeze that brings life peace." Layla giggled at the corny line but agreed that it was a much more suiting name for the boy with pink hair and a fiery spirit.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>"Natsu, one day you will be stronger than even me. You must never give up, do you understand?" The small boy nodded his head. "One day the dragons will look to you to lead them in my place, so we must study hard, you have a great deal of magic inside of you, and you have a will to live, and for a great purpose." The little pink haired boy nodded once more, listening to the dragon with out complaint.<br>_

_"I am going to teach you everything you need to know. I will turn you into a Dragon Slayer." The young boy's dark eyes shined with amazement.  
><em>

_"I'll make you worthy of the title, Dragon Prince Natsu Dragneel. Son of the Great Dragon King Igneel." Igneel wrapped his tail around the three year old, pulling him close for a hug.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>"How did you find me?" Natsu, barely older than four asked, eyes full of curiosity.<em>

_"I was walking through the forest, and smelled you." The dragon answered in a dull tone._

_"You smelled me? Did I smell good? Were you going to eat me?" The little pink haired boy's eyes grew wide at the thought. The dragon let out a rich laugh wrapping his tail around his small charge._

_"Yes I smelled you, and you smelled horrid! I would never eat a scrawny little runt like you anyway!" Natsu crossed his arms over his chest indignantly. _

_"Well you don't smell like flowers either IGNEEL..." The young boy pouted, casting his eyes down to the ground. The dragon let out another deep laugh but answered in a much less teasing way._

_"You don't smell horrid anymore. Now you smell like a strong dragon, just like me." The dragon nuzzled the little boy's hair affectionately. _

* * *

><p><em>"Igneel, when I'm older will you let me study with the other dragons?" Natsu looked up with wide eyes, watching the stars in the sky.<em>

_"When the time comes. Right now, you need to focus on mastering your fire magic though." The dragon cracked open one eye to watch the young boy put his arm up, tracing the stars with his index finger._

_"Will that Lucy girl get to study with dragons too?" Natsu stopped on the constellation of the Queen, wondering what she looked like._

_"Lucy will train under many masters, maybe one day, a dragon as well. It all depends on the road she decides to walk down." Natsu flopped over on his belly, eyes searching the dragon's face for a long moment._

_"Is she REALLY that special?" Natsu made a funny face, which brought a deep laugh from the dragon's throat._

_"She is a princess, so yes." Natsu huffed before turning onto his back again._

_ There was a long silence.  
><em>

_"What's she like?" Natsu asked in a bored tone, going back to star gazing._

_"Well, last time I saw her, she was starting to train with her cousin. It was rather funny to watch the tiny thing hold up a sword. She laughs a lot though even when he picks on her. She reminds me of a smaller version of her mother honestly. She has light blonde hair and large trusting brown eyes that sparkle when she smiles. She is even starting to learn how to wield her Celestial Magic. You better keep up your studies or she's surpass you." Igneel closed his eye, satisfied that Natsu wouldn't ask any more questions._

* * *

><p><em>"Will we be seeing Mrs. Layla soon?" Natsu push a nervous hand through his hair. <em>

_"Are you worried?" The dragon asked, hiding his amusement as Natsu's obvious discomfort._

_"No... well.. maybe a little. What if she doesn't like me?" Natsu whined rubbing the back of his neck anxiously._

_ "I have trained you, I'm sure that you will impress her as much as you impress me. You still have a while before you need to worry about that though. Plus it's Lucy you need to impress, not her mother." Igneel shifted forms and wrapped an arm around his adopted son. _

_"I thought I was supposed to get her mom's approval first though..." Natsu turned his head to the side. "Didn't you tell me that?" Igneel shook his head as he laughed._

_"You are worrying to much. You are still to young to be focusing on silly things like impressing females, now go catch some dinner." Natsu smiled brightly and agreed before running off into the wilderness.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>"Igneel! Why can't I go with you?" Natsu held on tightly to the scarf his precious teacher had given to him. "I want to come with you this time!"<em>

_"I'm sorry Natsu, but this will be the last time I see you for a long time." The dragon shifted into the form of a human._

_"What about Lucy? What's going to happen to her?" Natsu's eyes filled with tears.  
><em>

_ "For now I can't let you see her, it'll be best for you to forget about her." Igneel said sadly._

_"How am I supposed to do that when you've been telling me about her for as long as I can remember? And now she is going to be all alone, and you expect me to just sit here like a good little boy while you just leave? That isn't fair and you know it!" Natsu anger was nearing it's boiling point.  
><em>

_ "Master Dreyer has agreed to take you under his wing, and Lucy will live with her mother's husband. Neither of you will be alone, we will all see each other again some day, and when we do I hope you'll forgive me for this." Igneel placed a hand on Natsu's forehead and murmured something in an ancient language before Natsu collapsed._

_ A tear rolled down his face, at the sight of his precious grandson laying lifeless on the ground. _

_"I'm sorry, but the pain of knowing would haunt you." Igneel transformed back into his beastly state and took off, into the skies.  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Hold out a little longer! It's almost over!" Lucy yelled to Gemini. With a burst of gold light the twin Lucys were able to repair the last of the scorched skin on Natsu's exposed body. The fire had burned away everything save his precious scaled scarf. The wind tunnel finally broke, and Natsu fell face first into the water. Lucy and Gemini released their magic healing barrier, Gemini couldn't hold out any longer so they returned to their original form.<p>

"We are heading back! There is nothing more we can do." The two chorused before disappearing.

Lucy fell to her knees breathing unevenly, but she knew that she needed to get Natsu before he inhaled to much water. She had expended almost all of her magic to keep him alive, she would be damned if he drown because she was to weak to make it to him. The blood loss was beginning to get to her, and she stumbled falling into the water not far from where he lay. She tried desperately to push herself up once more, she was so close. Igneel beat her to him, picking the both of them up and walking out of the water. Lucy let consciousness slip away once she saw that Natsu was safe and in one piece, complete exhaustion overpowering any other thought in her mind. The rest of Natsu's colony followed behind silently as the dragon lead them to an old looking building.

Igneel laid the two down on the beds set up in the room with a deep sigh. "Wendy look after them." The young dragon slayer nodded and pulled a chair over to sit in between the two beds. "They won't wake up for a while, feel free to go back, there is still plenty of food." Igneel smiled towards those who were left.

Laxus shifted before sliding down the wall next to his cousin. He remained silent as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

Happy and Charle sat on the edge of Lucy's bed, sobbing softly as they held each other.

Levy looked frantically from Lucy to Gajeel, unsure of what she should do.

Gajeel turned and walked out the door, leaning against the wall next to the only door, Lily quickly followed. Levy seemed to have decided to follow, setting herself on the other side of the door, tears rolling down her cheeks freely.

"Will they be ok?" Levy whispered, but no one cared to reply.

_**A/N**_:: _So... Natsu's seal is broken. Remember it's a thirteen layer seal that stole his memories, as well as sealed his latent powers. Wendy might be going to train! So might Laxus... and time is practically standing still. They can take as much time as they want to, getting stronger to protect what is important!_

_In response to **Heartgold12**, thank you for your honesty! I hope that you read chapter two as I really am going to take your suggestions into account as I edit further chapters. Natsu has just regain a power that is gonna put Lucy's to shame. Plus, she has pretty much learned everything she can for now. Other than healing Natsu she isn't going to get much face time in the up coming chapters. I'm planning to spend much more time with Levy and Laxus in the next few chapters... you're going to get character development from all sides! Natsu is the lead character in this book, so I really don't need Lucy as much. The chapters in this fic are going to be longer than the first two, plus there will be more of them, so don't worry Everyone will get some spot light! _

_Levy and Wendy were just teasing her about the 'more for me!' comment, and if you're referring to her getting a sick stomach, it was because she was remembering the pain in her dream. Have you ever had a nightmare so bad that you wake up wanting to empty your stomach? Well that's how it was supposed to be... just sort of delayed. I mean it might be nice if they can have kids at some point, but they are on the verge of war, I don't think it would be smart to bring young life into the middle when they don't know if they will survive. _

_I hope this chapter made you feel better about the progression of the story, but again I totally understand if you're turned off by it. I often find that I can't continue when a chapter rubs me the wrong way as well. _

_To **KeilaDragneel** I hope you like the first two! The grammar is a little shaky at points, but that's because I write and post almost immediately, a lot of times I only read through it once or twice before posting. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. _

_**Shiningstellar** as always your review made me smile! When you get the chance you can totally PM me to let me know what you liked the most! _

_**footster26**, **WaterPanda**, **Crystilia**, and everyone else who reads but doesn't review constantly, I hope you guys got a chance to read, I'm super excited to see what you all think, and it's going to be WAY longer than the first two, which were really super experimental! This one gets down into the grind of training, it exploits their weaknesses and reveals their strengths! I'm sorry that this was a short chapter, but it needed to be pure and unadulterated! _

_As always THANK YOU FOR READING! I have really come to enjoy writing this, and the fight scenes are good practice for my novel. ^_^_

_~Chrys Stone  
><em>


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N::_**

**_Last time, There was a major temper tantrum thrown. Natsu's seal was broken, and he now knows the whole story. Lucy is out of commission, badly injured and unconscious and Igneel is... sad? Maybe..._**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Deciphering the code<p>

::

It was dark, the air smelled heavily of medical herbs and perspiration. His nose detected dried blood, and salt, most likely from a water source. The ringing in his ears began to dull.

Natsu listened to the sound of shuffling feet, completely unaware of where he was or why he was there. His whole body felt like it couldn't make up it's mind between being completely numb or in so much pain it felt like he'd gone ten rounds with Erza in her flame emperor's armor. If he could have, Natsu would have whined about the discomfort, but he found that he was not truly awake, only aware.

The shuffling suddenly stopped.

"Lucy-nee he is stable now." He could make out the youngest dragon slayer's voice. She was hovering just above him by how loud she was. "You need to rest!" Natsu noted the tinge of panic in Wendy's voice as she spoke. "Please, I know you won't calm down so long as you are here, just take a walk or something!"

"No! I won't rest till he is awake and you know that! If you truly want me to leave, you will have to drag me out! I warn you now that I will be kicking and screaming the whole way! How the hell am I supposed to stay calm when Natsu won't open his eyes? How am I supposed to stay calm when I can't HEAR him... Not at all!" Lucy's voice was rasping and pained, her breaths shallow and close together. Natsu could instantly tell that she had been crying, and she was injured.

"FINE I give up! Do whatever you want! I don't care anymore!" Wendy's voice was high pitched in her anger, as well as frustration. Natsu heard stomping and then a door slamming.

The room was instantly filled with the echoed sobs of his wife who placed herself in the chair beside his bed. He wanted desperately to comfort her, but remembered that he was unable to move, let alone speak. He tried with all his might to open his eyes so that she would at least know he was awake, but they were just too heavy.

His heart ached as he remembered what had happened at the waterfall. She had completely used her magic up in order to heal the damage the seal breaking had caused his body. She didn't even have enough energy left to heal herself completely. He wanted desperately to brighten her mood with one of his most devastatingly heart warming grins, the kind that always managed to make her grin just as warmly no matter the mood she was in. He wanted to tell her that everything would be fine, and wrap her in a tight hug, but as it was, he could barely keep himself awake.

They stayed in silence as Natsu drifted in and out of consciousness, the only sound marring the still atmosphere were the pained sobs of a wife who felt she hadn't done everything she could to protect the person who meant most to her.

The younger girl had stormed out of the room in a huff of irritation, her frustration causing her to punch a near-by tree several times. The tree groaned in protest before one last blow toppled it over completely. "If you don't want my help then fine, suffer alone!" Wendy had never felt this angry at her friend before. Lucy was as stubborn as Natsu and everyone knew it, but for her to insult Wendy, as if her magic was not good enough to heal her friend, it was just infuriating. "I don't care!" Tears welled up in the young girl's eyes as she knew that she was lying, she did care, and it hurt more than anything to watch the people she called family suffer when she could at least ease the pain.

All she wanted was to ease their pain.

"Wendy, what happened?" Levy made her way over to her smaller companion, who had slide down a tree near the one she had destroyed, wrapping her arms around her legs to comfort herself. Wendy didn't answer, she only lifted her head off her knees to give Levy a slightly broken look before hiding once more. Immediately Levy crouched down next to Wendy, throwing a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Everything will be ok." Levy soothed, brushing her fingers through the smaller girl's hair. Wendy let out a loud whimper, before finally answering her friend's words.

"How? Lucy-nee won't even let me treat her wounds! I half wish she had stayed unconscious longer so I could finish fixing her." Wendy's voice cracked as she sobbed harder. "She won't even rest, no matter what I say she is pushing herself to hard, and I'm afraid this time she may do permanent damage."

Levy stayed quiet, allowing Wendy the time she needed to let out her frustrations. She noted that Charle was keeping her distance as well, allowing the two to have their bonding moment in silence. When Levy noticed that Wendy's tears were starting to slow she took a moment to think. She needed to give Wendy something that would take the girl's mind off of the people who were currently bothering her.

"You should go spend some time with Grandeeney (Grandine). I'll keep an eye on those two for now." Wendy's sobbing slowed even more as she looked over at Levy's bright, encouraging smile. "You've done enough, now go enjoy yourself." Levy patted Wendy's head affectionately.

"I suppose I could take a break." Wendy took a deep breath to settle the rest of her tears, before wrapping Levy in a tight embrace, muttering her thanks.

Both girls wiped their eyes with their sleeves before Wendy ran off in search of her foster mother, Charle trailing just behind asking questions to keep Wendy's mind focused on anything but her injured friends as they went.

Levy released a heavy sigh, staring at the door that lead to the room Lucy and Natsu were hold up in. She was painfully aware that Lucy would rather die than leave his side right now. If it had been Gajeel and her under that waterfall she would be just as stubborn about leaving his side. She and Lucy were similar that way, even though she wasn't given the opportunity to show her fiercely protective nature half as often, honestly she was ok with that. She held a lot of respect for her best friend, but she was glad that she and Gajeel had a much simpler relationship. Though they all bore the Dragon link marks on their chest, Lucy and Natsu were the only ones who could use it to communicate, and it didn't seem to affect Levy's personality as much as it had Lucy's. Levy had many theories on why this had happened, but as the conversation was never appropriate she kept her thoughts to herself.

She truly understood how it felt though, because they all had something they wanted to protect, it wasn't just Lucy and Natsu who took on this journey to grow stronger. She and Wendy had made a secret pact that they would get stronger as well, so they weren't left behind on the battle field, and so far little Wendy was keeping up her side of the bargain, she was becoming so strong that she was able to cut a tree nearly in half with her bare fists. Levy refused to allowed her friends to put it all on the line while she stood in the background being protected. She would grow stronger while they spent their time here, and she would lift some of the burden off her family's shoulders.

With a look of determination, Levy pulled open her shoulder bag and gathered the papers she had been trying to decipher for months now. She had become so frustrated with herself that she decided it would do some good not to look at it for a while. It had been tucked away safely for the past two weeks, giving her time to rest before trying once more. So now that she had fresh eyes she poured herself into trying to determine a base of origin.

Levy knew she wasn't the best, but she had always taken pride in her knowledge and skills when it came to the written word. She was proficient in most ancient languages, and her speed at summoning her solid script was the fastest (or so many had told her, but Levy had never met another mage to compare her talents to). Struggling like this was not something she had ever experienced before and it frustrated her to no end.

She pulled out some of the books that Lucy had summoned from the resource room in the guild, she poured her full attention into trying to find something, (anything really) that looked remotely like the characters that were drawn out on the pages in Lucy's tidy print work. She spent over an hour, digging through all her books, going through every page with a determination burning in her veins that would not die until she solved this. After she had exhausted every book in her collection, it took her a few moments to decide what to do next. She picked herself up off the ground and quickly tucked the pages back into her bag, taking a deep breath as she knew what she was going to say would take all of her nerve.

Even from where she stood she could hear Lucy sobbing loudly, it only took a few steps to close the gap between herself and the door. With a curt knock, Levy opened it and made her way inside. Lucy was sitting in the chair beside Natsu, eyes red and puffy from her tears. Her hands were wound tightly in the bed covers as she watched his face, waiting for any sign that he would wake up.

"Lu-chan, I know you don't want to leave, but you should at least lay down till you are recovered yourself." Levy's tone was calm and soothing, like a mother comforting a young child who had scrapped their knee. Carefully and slowly she made her way across the room and knelled in front of Lucy's chair, giving her a tired smile. "Igneel said he will sleep for a while, so please, just take the time to take care of your own wounds. I heard you refused to let Wendy treat you again." Lucy refused to make eye contact, her hands shaking as she listened to her friend. "I can't force you to do anything Lu-chan, but I'm not going to stick around to watch you act like this any longer. I'm going to see Abra, that earth dragon. I'm going to put my time to good use while we wait. I had a thought that since you saw lizard like creatures that it may have something to do with the dragons, which could be the reason I'm having so much trouble reading the symbols. I'm hoping that she will be able to tell me something." Levy patted a hand against her bag, trying to smile.

Lucy looked like she was in so much pain still, and sitting up with wounds on her body was only making her pain more intense, Levy was sure of that. "You're no good to him if you don't recover, and you know he would get mad at you for refusing treatment. So just go lay down, Dammit. You need to heal." Levy got up to leave but Lucy wrapped a hand around her wrist, holding her in place. Levy stared straight ahead, waiting.

"Levy-chan, thank you. You're right, about everything. Please, tell Wendy I'm sorry for yelling earlier." Lucy kept her eyes glued to her husband, her voice pained with mixed emotions.

"I'm not going to bother her when she is spending time with her mother, tell her yourself when you see her later. We are all worried you know. We had to stand there and watch the both of you go through that pain, we are always standing back watching. Wendy was only trying to help, and you were shoving her away. Lu-chan, it's not right, and you know it!" Levy took a deep breath, before continuing. "I'm going now, so just get some rest, so we have one less thing to worry about. That is all the thanks I need." Levy pulled her hand out of Lucy grasp, making her way to the door with out looking back.

Levy felt bad that she used such a harsh tone with her venomous words, but Lucy needed the firm hand sometimes, and since Natsu was down for the count she needed to be that rock of reality for her friend. She knew that Lucy would take her words and truly look at how she was acting, and hopefully she would realize that Levy had been right, leading her to heed her friends words.

* * *

><p>The clearing wasn't far from the little shack, so it didn't take her long to reach it. When Levy approached she was pleased to find that a majority of the dragons were still present. Laxus, (Lucy had kicked him out the second she regained consciousness) and Gajeel were in a deep discussion at one end of the table, and she truly didn't feel like interrupting, so she found Abra and seated herself next to the small female dragon. "Abra, I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something." She was rewarded with a toothy smile and and encouraging nod. "Lucy has been having nightmares about a place underground where she keeps encountered this large set of lead doors. There are markings and pictures that we can't seem to find a meaning to. I was wondering if maybe there was an ancient form of Dragon Script. I've been frying my brain for the past couple months, and that seems to be the most logical explanation for why I'm unable to read it." Levy placed her head on the table with a look of pure frustration on her face.<p>

"Reading is not my strongest suit I am afraid, but I know who you could ask." The small woman put a finger to her temple as she spoke. "Draco, he is one of the only ancients left, if he can't tell you, then you're doomed..." The small dragon female made an exaggerated hand gesture as she spoke in an eerie tone, emphasizing the word 'doomed' more than necessary. Abra laughed as Levy shot her a panicked glare. "Don't worry, I'm sure he can at least help you try!" She pointed to the other side of the table where the god like figure of Draco sat with his golden hair and round amber eyes.

"Thank you, Abra." Levy quickly excused herself, taking a deep breath before she walked up to Draco. "Excuse me, I was wondering if I could possibly ask for your guidance." Levy knew that with men it was always better to appeal to their vulnerabilities, and with a handsome figure such as the Celestial Dragon, Levy guessed that his biggest weakness was more than likely, his pride. She would walk around her words carefully to make sure to flatter him at all costs, in hopes that it would help make him agree to help her.

"What type of Guidance do you seek, human?" Though his words came across as somewhat rude, Levy knew that she had spiked his interest. She could read the curiosity that crossed his expression rather clearly; she was good at reading languages, not just the kind you find in books. People used their bodies to communicate more than their audible words more often than not, and over her years of being a mage of fairytail she had learned that body language rarely ever lied.

"You see I have a task that I'm unable to complete myself. I've been working tirelessly on translating something for my friend, which is written in a language I have never seen before. Over the past three months I have gone through every book available to me, and still have yet to find any language even similar to the symbols. I've also tried to ask some of the others, but they said that you were the dragon to see." Levy wasn't sure when flattery had become one of her strong points, but she was thankful that she seem to be doing so well. She smiled brightly, tilting her head slightly to make herself look as adorable as possible.

"I supposed I could take a moment to look." He held out a delicate hand, waiting for Levy to hand over the documents. She reached into her bag and pulled out half of the papers, placing them in his hands with another bright and dazzling smile. Draco eyed her behavior with curiosity before turning his attention to the papers in his grasp.

Draco looked through the first couple of pages, becoming accustom to the writing, before his eyes widened. "Where did you get this?" He looked at Levy, something akin to fear crossing his expression.

"Lucy saw it in a dream, she wrote it out so that we had a clue as to where she was." Levy answered as simply as possible, not wanting to cause the dragon more panic.

"I will help you translate it into your language, Igneel is going to want to see it, I'm almost certain of that." The man brushed a nervous hand through his hair. "Can you lay them out in order so I can see it all?" Levy lifted and eyebrow, watching the beautiful man fret. Something about this writing had such a calm and collected dragon in a panic, and Levy knew that instant that her hunch was probably correct. What ever it was that Lucy had seen was surely a terrible place that she hoped they would never encounter.

"I will need a much larger space, this is only half of it." At her words Draco knocked away the food from the table and motioned for Levy to start. A small panicked squeak brought Gajeel to her side, he positioned himself protectively between Levy and the golden dragon. "It's alright, help me lay these out in order." Levy handed over the first stack before reaching into her bag and pulling out an equally large pile from with in. The others who were still gathered sent questioning glares towards the two as they set to work. Many eyes widened with shock when they observed Draco fidget on the spot, waiting impatiently for the duo to finish their work. Not one word was spoken as the table filled with papers.

It took them more than an hour to set it up in order, but when their work was finished they were rewarded with a vacant stare from Draco. "Did she really see this? It's not possible..." He was short of breath, running his fingers through his hair in a manner that worried Levy to an even greater extent. "Metalicana, you must bring Igneel! Now!"

"Draco-san, what does it say?" Levy could feel her skin crawl at the idea that something was terrible enough for an ancient dragon to act so panicked. He refused to answer until Igneel was present. Draco began to pace nervously shooting glares at the pages, as if willing the words to change. Levy looked once more at the papers, her imagination running the description of the lead doors through her head a million times more. "Please tell me something." Levy nearly pleaded, her mind running through every scenario she could think of.

"This is a language not even Dragon's use any more. It is so ancient that I believe there are only three left in existence who would be able to decipher it." That made sense to Levy, which made her feel some what better about being unable to crack it on her own. There was a long period of silence as all those present stared blankly at Draco, who only seemed to get more nervous with every passing minute.

Igneel made his way into the clearing followed by a disgruntled looking Metalicana. "What is it Draco?" Igneel followed his friend's gaze to the papers laid out on the table. It took him a moment before realization dawned across his face. "Where did you see this?" His black eyes bore into Levy like molten lava. Now she was absolutely certain that this was going to be bad, probably worse than Lucy and Natsu were even aware of.

"I didn't, Lucy saw it in a dream. She has been seeing it for months. When she wakes up she is always in a cold sweat, yelling about how she was trapped in a tunnel underground. Often she starts the dream, finding herself running, searching for people, she is often panicked because she can't sense anyone, not even thoughts. When she stops in front of the doors that bare these markings and horrific depictions of what we assume now to be Dragons being slaughtered, a man comes to her, and tells her she has no chance of beating him now that he has the power of the dark dragon coursing through his veins. She than attacks him, but that's when she wakes up." Levy's nerves were getting the better of her, the only thing keeping her from melting under Igneel's gaze was Gajeel's hand on her shoulder. In all honestly that was giving her little comfort as Igneel's gaze intensified with every word.

"How long has this been accruing?" Igneel seem to be just as frazzled as Draco, running a shaking hand through his red mane when he finally broke eye contact.

"Honestly only Lucy, Natsu and Happy know when it started. It has been a little over three months since the first time she had been able to make out the markings on the door, that much I am sure of." Levy felt the bottom of her stomach fall out with what she was now discovering.

"This... this was inscribed on the Door of the Damned over a millennium ago, before the sky was split. It is an accursed place that was used to reap souls in order to gain power." Draco explained sheer terror filling his eyes. "It was known to have taken the life of many of the ancient Dragons." A shiver ran up the Dragon's spine, making him shutter rather exaggeratedly.

"But what does it say?" Levy felt her stomach churn with nerves, but she needed to know. She needed to know what they were up against.

_"Before thee lies the gateway to the Reaper of souls, hence fourth all whom enter here shall be cast into the abyss of despair. Thus any soul who ventures yonder shall forfeit all that lies within, withering hence for all eternity as not but a shell, granting the Reaper all the spoils of said soul's life force. The bounty for entrance stands thus, all souls will give there power and merge to become one."_

Draco translated in a shaky voice. "It's steals your soul, and all of the magical power you possess. And the reaper of souls absorbs what the room beyond these doors hold." Draco lost his composure, letting his voice become high pitched and breathy. "But your body, it stays in one piece, damned to live on while not really living at all... It is a terrible fate."

"It was supposed to have been sealed away, in another dimension." Igneel gritted his teeth. "It's not possible for a normal mage to get access." The fear was tangible between the dragons as they looked from one to another.

"That's why we have come." Levy brought herself to her full height, keeping her eyes fixed on the tall dragons that stood before her. She mustered all of her courage and conviction to make herself sound as certain as possible when she spoke. "We came to become strong enough to defeat the one Mage who could gain access, Zeref." A hush spread, then a spark of pure fury lit Igneel's eyes before he ignited into flames.

"Acknowlogia must also be a part of this. The only way for a human to learn of it's whereabouts would be to find a dragon who was there when it was sealed. He is the only other elder left, the black dragon who devours souls." Levy allowed herself to slide into a chair, taking it all in. Once more her world had be flopped on it's head. This door, Lucy said that she had felt like they were behind it, did that mean that they had already lost their souls? Had Lucy been so angry because she knew that everyone of them was dead, and that Zeref and Acknowlogia had won? How could she face going home to know that Lucy had already seen them fail. Levy's throat burned with acid as she felt her dinner try to make it's way out of her stomach.

"Well then, it seems there is a second reason why you are all here. We have kept our distance long enough, I believe the time to train you has finally come. All of you." There was a murmur of agreement amongst the dragons. Levy and the other two present gave Igneel a stare that showed their confusion at his words, but the dragon ignored them, continuing his speech. "This is as much our battle as it is yours. If someone is able to gain access to those doors no one will be safe, not human, nor dragon, nor spirit." Levy was momentarily taken back by how profoundly enraged this development had made the dragon that Natsu had always described as playful and loving. His words were forceful and his voice held absolute command over the gravity of the words he spoke. A sense of admiration filled Levy as she watched on, in silence. She could see where Natsu got his passion for fighting, as she observed the tall man hand out assignments.

"We must start now, there is much for you young ones to learn. Metalicana send word to Grandine that she and Icilo will be in charge of Wendy, update her on the current situation and tell her to contact me when she feels Wendy is ready. When you return, Xylon and you will be handling Gajeel, you are the most familiar with him and how his training can be taken from here." The tall dragon, whom Gajeel had grown up with, huffed in irritation before standing from the table, he walked away muttering angrily under his breath.

"Abra and Uruloki please take Levy under your wing, she may not be a dragon slayer like the others, but I can tell that she will be involved in the battles to come. She will need your wisdom and guidance." Arba turned to Levy with a happy smile, again Levy imagined that she looked much like a pixie especially with her playful nature.

"Umbros, Constantine I'll leave Laxus in your care, his skills have grown since he was young, and the lycrima that allows him to us Lightening Dragon slayer magic will help him progress." The two dragons high fived one another chanting that they were planning on tag teaming the blonde mage anyway.

"Draco you have many things to discuss with Lucy, as for Natsu I will handle him. The Exceeds with remain with their normal companions." Igneel took a moment to look around to the mages and dragons who were still sitting around the table. "Once you feel that your charges are at a level were they can stand up against these opponents bring them back here. Now, you have your tasks, leave here." Igneel turned on his heel with a puff of smoke before heading in the direction in which he had come.

Chattering picked up as the dragons began to discuss things amongst them selves. "Well this is an interesting turn of events." Abra came to stand closer to where Levy was sitting. "It's been a while since Uruloki and I worked together like this." Levy could tell that the dragon was attempting to lighten the mood, and was thankful for her thoughtfulness. Worry was creeping into Levy's mind as she watched Laxus make his way over to joke with his two new tutors.

"What's wrong, aren't you excited to train with the earth dragons?" Gajeel set a scrowl on as he questioned his wife.

"We all knew that if we fail in our task everyone will die." Levy shifted her gaze to stare vacantly out across the forest. "But I never imagined just how scared I would feel when I realized how much of a disadvantage we are at." Levy felt numb, like she would never be happy again. Gajeel was about to answer her when the small female dragon cut him off.

"Levy," Abra put her very small hand on the human's forearm. "You have the advantage of knowing your enemy's plan, well some of it. Plus, you have the dragons on your side now." Levy looked down at the dragon for a long moment.

"I'm a script mage, not an earth mage. What good is it going to do me to train with earth dragons?" She hadn't meant it as an insult, she just couldn't help the words from pouring over. "If Lucky were here instead... with her wood manipulation magic... she would a better choice than me." Levy's eyes began to water. "I am the weakest out of our colony, and I know it all to well!" Levy's voice was becoming shrill as she continued.

"No one in our family is weak." Gajeel had stayed silent while Abra stoke, till this point, allowing Levy a chance to let out some of her insecurities. He knew very well how she thought of herself, and he had tried to help her see that it wasn't all true. "You have your own strengths, even if you aren't a dragon slayer like the rest of us, or some freak of nature like the Brat and Flame brain. You are a back bone member of the family, and you need to see that for yourself." Levy buried her face in her husbands shirt, allowing her feelings of uselessness to wash over her as she cried them out. "Besides, Lucy is YOUR best friend, not Lucky's." This comment brought a small smile to the small woman's face.

"Gajeel is right." Laxus, who seemed to be listening while trying not to look interested, slide lazily into a chair on the other side of the table. "Give yourself a little credit. If you weren't a mage of some importance than why did Gramps select you for the last S-class exam?" Laxus smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. Levy took a moment to mull his words over in her mind. She was one of the eight who had been chosen, so did that put her on the same level as Gray and Cana? Yes, she had the intellect and the determination to be counted as one of those high ranking mages of the guild. And now, she was given an opportunity to train with a dragon master, how many mages get to say that other than the rest of her family?

"Alright, I'm ready." Levy abruptly pushed away from Gajeel a look of sheer determination set on her face. "I made a promise to get stronger, and if you can help me do that I would gladly accept your help." She gave a watery smile to Abra.

"That's better, now get out of here." Gajeel placed a soft kiss on her cheek and squeezed her hand encouragingly. "We will meet back here when we have all learned what we need to beat that Zeref bastard to a pulp." Levy giggled, wiping away her tears.

"I promise I'll make you proud." She looked up into his eyes as she vowed, never to doubt herself again.

"You already do." He smirked patting her head none to gracefully. Levy laughed before turning to Abra.

"I'm ready when you are," Her smile finally reached her hazel eyes, that sparkled with excitement. "Master Abra." The small dragon woman nodded and made her way over to the other Earth dragons, she started a heated conversation as they decided where to train.

"We'll be heading up to those mountains." Laxus pointed off into the distance as he pulled on his pack. "Can someone make sure that Lu knows what's going on?" His eyes seemed worried, but they also held excitement.

"I will take care of her Master Laxus, don't worry." Draco seemed to have finally regained his composure. "She and I have a lot to work through." Levy and Laxus released a sigh of relief at the same moment.

"She won't leave that shack till Natsu comes round." Levy pointed in the direction of the one room shelter where she had left her friends. "She is still wounded, and her magic levels are still depleted. It may take some time before she is ready to train." Levy turned back to see a smiling Draco.

"There is nothing I can teach her." Draco's response was simple and to the point. "From the time she was young, she never needed anyone to teach, only to watch over her progress." A fond smile graced the dragon's face as he seemed to become lost in memories.

"We are ready now Levy, say your goodbyes." Abra broke in to the conversation unexpectedly.

"Yea, alright. Well I will see you all soon." She waved with a content smile before walking to the earth dragons who had transformed back into their natural state. Levy was amused that they looked like brightly colored dragonflies in this form, they were no bigger than the palm of her hand, with delicate nearly translucent wings.

It was almost like following a bright rainbow off into the depths of the forest.

* * *

><p>Levy walked for, who knows how many miles, without complaint while looking at the beautiful scenery. Her training in Magnolia was honestly paying off, because she didn't so much as feel out of breath when Abra flew back to land on her shoulder, after what she suspected was eight hours of walking with only a few short rests.<p>

"We are nearing our grotto." The bright yellow dragon whispered as the forest started to thin out. Levy noticed that the terrain under her feet had become rocky and slick with water, so she decided to slip off her heeled shoes and continue on barefoot. Soon the sounds of rushing water echoed around her, drawing her attention up ahead, where a tall cliff was cut through at intervals with several small waterfalls. The white water cascaded down hitting the rocks on the opposite side, turning them back the way they had come. The noon high sun shown through the thick spray of water droplets casting a vibrant rainbow over the flowing stream that lay below. All around the cliffs were covered in vibrant green vines and moss. It was truly like a scene out of a fairy story as beyond the falls lay a cave, just as the stories would say, where the dragons there did lie.

"This is beautiful." Levy's mood was lighter than air as she peered around at the low hanging branches of a willow tree off to the east. The cool mountain water washed over her feet, tickling between her toes. How wonderful this place was, it simply sparkled in her minds eye. A true vision of what a magical world she had stepped into.

"We have never had a human here." Abra whom was still perched on Levy's shoulder stated matter-of-factly. "We will have to figure sleeping arrangements for you." To this Levy giggled, sure that these tiny dragons didn't have a dwelling nearly large enough for her.

"When I trained with Lucy, she taught our group that sometime it is beneficiary to embrace your surroundings, to allow yourself to let go of comforts like a warm place to sleep or a pillow to cradle your head. I learned in the first week that I am very capable of sleeping anywhere so long as I'm not wet." Abra joined Levy as she laughed at the statement.

"You are blessed to have such a wise friend." Abra stated taking off to look Levy in the eyes.

"Yes, I am blessed, I have a lot of wonderful friends. My comrades are those who learn from one another, we care for each other just like a real family should." Levy giggled in a light airy way that relaxed her whole body. "Abra I think that willow to the east will suit me just fine." Levy smiled as she made her way over to the grand tree. She pushed back the low swinging branches making her way to the center. To her delight the center of the tree was perfectly sized for her to nestle up inside of the branches. Levy threw her pack up along with her shoes before heading back out to the dragons once more.

Slowly she made her way across the slick rocks to a fallen tree, which she would use as her chair.

"Well first I believe proper introductions are in order. I'll start," Levy cleared her throat. "My name is Levy M. Redfox. I am a Solid Script Mage, who specializes in ancient languages as well as some runes. I love to read, and I enjoy making new friends!" The air was filled with the tiny dragons, their wings beating rapidly against the air as they stayed quiet, listening calmly as she spoke. "I look forward to working with you all." She smiled brightly before bowing her head politely.

"I am Abra the Earth dragon of the fields, and current head of this small colony." Abra's bright yellow scales glistened as she glided along the edge of the waterfall induced rainbow.

"My name is Uruloki, Earth dragon of the rock, I guess I can be considered the vice captain, since I do most of the managing while Abra plays in the meadow." Uruloki's scales were a brassy shade of orange, his eyes a burning red, like brilliant rubies shining in the suns light. There was nothing formal in his tone, and he seemed bored when he spoke. His voice was neither deep and rich nor high and irritating, it was a classic silky voice that went well with his seemingly carefree demeanor.

"I am the great Silvanus of the western wood! Pleased to meet you." Levy couldn't choke down the giggle that bubbled up at the pompous emerald green dragon. She could tell right away that he was very full of himself, and that she would need to take care not to insult his pride while she stayed here.

"Sup, I'm Cornelius, I like surprises." If he weren't in his dragon form he may have winked and gave her the index finger to thumbs double guns pose, but as he was still in dragon form Levy could only imagine. He did a quick loop in mid air showing off his brilliant golden scales before landing on a rock not to far from Levy.

"Hi, I'm Luella, a woodland dragon. It's a pleasure." A small dragon, a soft shade of lilac, said in a small delicate voice.

"I'm Mayda, a garden type, I get to play with pretty flowers." A bright pink one added cheerfully, Levy instantly thought this one was a little absent minded, and probably wiled away the hours looking at clouds trying to decide what shape they resembled.

"The three small ones here are Fayina, Damek and Celie." Abra informed. "They are the youngest of our colony, and are not very good at using speech yet. Also Terrenius and Xylon aren't here, they both have been asked for other things, so they won't be joining us for a while." Levy smiled brightly as she looked around, to the three small dragons, she guessed that Damek was the bright red one, as he was the largest of the three. Fayina and Celie could have been twin's because they were a very similar shade of sapphire, with glittering black eyes that seemed very interested in the stranger who their 'Big sister' had brought home.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you, and I hope we can be great friends." The small dragons came to land on Levy's lap, curling around themselves in apparent satisfaction at their observations of Levy.

"For now I think we can let you rest. I has been a rough day." As if her body was agreeing with Abra's words Levy found herself yawn. With little reluctance Levy made her way back over to her tree, followed by the twin blue dragon's. Once settled in the safety of her willow, Levy reached into her bag and pulled out her cloak as a blanket. It wasn't cold or anything, it's just that she knew if she didn't cover her face from the brightness of the sun she would never be able to sleep properly. Once she was secure in the darkness, it was much easier to let herself feel the ache of her tired mind. She needed to rest properly so that when she woke, training could begin.

* * *

><p>"We are not the type of dragons who usually get mixed up in fights." Abra whom had resumed her appearance as a human stated simply as she lay in the field of wild flowers. "That is probably why there are more Earth Dragons left than any other breed." Levy wondered just how many breeds of dragon there were, and if all of them were as pleasant as her current hosts. "The magic we want to teach you is unique, and no human has learned it before." Levy turned her head away from cloud watching to look at the much smaller female.<p>

"I'm happy with the magic I use though." Levy only had a desire to become stronger, not to learn the art of dragon magic. She was pleased with her own unique set of skills, and had no want to change the core of who she was, a script mage.

"Terrenius has worked very hard to bring you these books though." Abra pointed to a large stack of books, beside it sat a tired looking man in a pale green outfit made of vines and leaves. "He has traveled a great distance with these." Abra had come to understand Levy's passion for books over the few weeks that they had been 'training' together. Levy often used their down time to read whatever she found in her bottomless bag, and she quite often fell asleep out here in the meadow with said book covering her face.

"What kind of books?" Levy's interest had been captured just as Abra had planned.

"Draco sent word that he believes you will be able to master a magic called Dragon Script. From what his message said, it is a special type of rune magic that allows you to take your script magic to a new level. The only problem is you will have to learn the language of the elders before you can study the texts on how to master the technique." Abra got to her feet and walked over to the unusually large Terrenius with a smile. Levy's eyes followed the little woman as she traced her fingers along the sides of the ancient books. "No one other than Draco has been in possession of these books since the ancient Dragon Adelaide wrote them herself." At this point Levy's mouth was practically watering as she pulled the stack of books toward herself.

She opened the first page and her brow knitted together. "Abra are they all written in this language?" Levy had lost a little bit of her enthusiasm as she began to recognize the script as the same one on the Door of the Damned.

"Over here, Draco sent you some more, this is how you will learn that language!" Abra pointed to a tall stack just to the other side of Terrenius.

"Oh." Levy made her way over to those books. She opened the first one on the stack and frowned. "I have to translate these too." With a heavy sight levy opened her shoulder pouch and pulled out her gale-force reading glasses. "Suppose I should get to work then."

* * *

><p>Levy worked nearly none stop as she learned the language of the ancient dragons, from time to time she reminded herself that she needed to thank the Celestial Dragon for lending her the materials she was currently attached to. She literally eat, practiced and sleep with the books plastered to her face. Levy had taken it upon herself to continue her physical training the same as she had so many months ago when she and the others were learning the ways of Lucy's brutal teachers.<p>

She began doing the meditating exercise under the waterfall, to help her learn to keep her concentration no matter the circumstances, often the dragons would take turned giving her little distraction while she lay half awake allowing the water to wash over her. She took to the meadow to practice form, as she summoned her words, she was becoming more fluid, and could tell that it was taking less strain on her magical reserve to summon her normal spells.

Levy knew from the first few books that she had translated that the key to mastering this new art of Script magic would be her ability to control the amount of magic she used to summon, and portion it out exactly. The mediating was also helping her increase her magic container's size. Gaining control over all of these factors would be key before she could even dream to start mastering Dragon Script.

Her physical stamina had already been improved from the weeks of monotonous running, she had taken to the mountain to increase the ground she covered daily, the ruff surface often slicing at her bare feet. (Levy had given up her heeled sandals on the first day.)

She was getting a lot better at keeping her balance as she ran over the slick boulders that coated the area under dragon falls. (Levy had come up with a name so that she would be able to tell Lucy about it later) The meadow was often included in her course, as well as a large portion of the forest surrounding the Grotto.

Martial arts was also on her training list, she often took to the meadow with Terrenius (who was closest to human size) to practice simple kicks and punches. Her fist didn't hold as much power as Wendy or Gajeel, but she was beginning to feel more force behind each blow as the weeks ticked by. Levy did her best to balance studying and training as she progressed in both areas, with the guidance of her dragon tutors.

It took several weeks for the language to become second nature to Levy, and as she became more than proficient in translating in her own mind she began to delve into the texts on the Dragon Script. Abra and the other dragons offered what support they could manage while Levy put her all into her studies every day. Her gale-force glasses were tucked away safely in her bag, because Levy knew that she would need to take her time memorizing the new form of magic.

She didn't always remember the reason she had become a mage, but the feeling she got from reading was something she would never lose. Levy was a proud mage, and worked her mind to it's limits every hour of the day, pushing her self just a little harder as she pushed her body to keep up with it's training as well.

She could feel it, finally she was catching up and becoming a mage worthy of the company she kept. Pride overflowed the small blue haired mage the day she was ready to summon Dragon script properly for the first time. She started with a simple rune, an enhancement spell that allowed her to offer a similar support to sky magic. It increased the speed and strength of the mages of the casters choosing.

As the days went by it became as easy to use Dragon script as her normal solid script magic, often she caught herself wondering if her skills were even more advanced than Freed Justine (Runes Mage) who would most certainly be envious of her new knowledge.

It took months for her to get to this point, earning her the spells, Chaos Sheild, an magic that shields her allies from both incoming magic as well as physical attacks.

Mirror Images, which allowed her to write a rune that would act as a solid projection of whom ever she encoded into it.

Reflection shield, a complicated set of script that reflected the enemy's magic back after being intensified tenfold.

Her most powerful spells were taking longer to get a hold on because of the great amount of Magic they consumed.

Death Symbol, a super destructive spell that had the capability to eradicate anything in it path, leaving nothing but a dust cloud in its wake.

Lastly was Uruloki's favorite, Earth Fury, it was a complex spell that opened the ground from underneath and swallowed the enemy whole.

Once Levy had every symbol mastered the time to make the journey back to the clearing, where they had all left several months ago, beckoned to her. She longed to show off her talents, to prove to herself that she was stronger, and that she now had the strength she had so desperately desired.

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><p>"We will miss you!" The pink and lilac dragons nuzzled their long snouts against Levy's cheek. The two blue dragons sat perched on either of her shoulder's refusing to allow her to leave just yet.<p>

"I will miss you all too! Maybe when everything is all over you can come to visit us at Fairytail, I know that I would enjoy having you there." Levy's eye were already fighting tears, but she forcefully pushed them back, reminding herself that she had not spent a year and a half with these amazing creatures to let them see her crumple under the sadness of departure.

"Are you ready?" Uruloki seemed to hang his head before shifting back to his natural form. The colony of Earth Dragons whimpered in response to the orange dragon, none of them could stay in human form knowing that their tears would make parting with their friend so much harder. The air was filled with tension as Fayina and Celie nuzzled Levy in a wordless good bye.

"Yes, I am ready now." Levy took one last look back at the Grotto, smiling at Dragon falls. She would miss this place, but the time had come for her to walk tall, to leave this place so that they could return to Fairy tail with pride in what they had accomplished.

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><p>::<p>

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A/N: The next five to six chapters will have over lapping time lines. Merry Christmas, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	4. Chapter 4

I'm super sorry for the late chapter! I've been really sick this past week... I literally almost slept for a full day. I hope you all enjoyed Dragon Falls and the Earth Dragon Grotto. I did a lot of research to try and keep Levy in character but giving her the depth that my plot line is forcing on the characters. I hope you enjoyed my sweet little dragons, because that was the last of them...

It's time for some Karma to come knocking, and since it is Dec 31st around 3:30 (EST) in the afternoon where I am I'm going to just go ahead and wish you all a Happy and Lucky New Year!

Please enjoy this chapter. It was absolutely a labor of Love and I hope that everyone gets at least a few laughs. Comedy is not my strong suite, (T.T) but I'm working on it!

~Chrys

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Chapter 4: Umbros the Poison Dragon and Constantine the Dragon of Lightning

"The problem with your current level of Magic is that you automatically have to go into dragon force to use your Dragon Slayer techniques to their full potential. This wastes a lot of your magical reserve, even if you have a massive amount of magic, it is not endless and at some point you will run out. Since it seems you can't use these techniques without achieving dragon force, we are going to have to start with the basics." Constantine called behind him. "We are going to have to teach you how to transform each part of your body separately, and if you can handle it as well as we suspect you can, then we will move on to something special." They had only just begun their climb to the summit of the far mountains, it had already taken 3 weeks to get this far. The terrain was becoming slick from a fresh rain, and sharp dagger like boulders poked out at odd angles catching Laxus's pants every so often leaving shallow gashes along his toned calves.

During the first few days of their hike Laxus had take the time to demonstrate a few of his techniques. Heavenward Halberd, being his favorite, was the first but the dragons had not been impressed. He was rather surprised because he was able to take down a line of trees spanning at least a mile out. Being who he was Laxus turned around and cast his Dragon's roar ripping a much wider path through the forest that lay beyond them. Constantine chuckled at his efforts, causing Laxus to scowl deeply as they continued on the better part of their journey in a stiff silence.

"Oh goodie" Laxus was still rather irritated by the lightning dragon's reaction to his dragon slayer techniques, he rolled his eyes with a crud grunt continuing to climb with out looking at his companions. Umbros was the one to laugh this time, and not to subtly as it's echo reverberated against the side of the mountain, causing a mini landslide to cast rocks the size of his fist to come raining down on Laxus.

"Is poor little Laxus still upset that his skills are sub-par to an actual dragon?" Umbros teased through his fit of laughter. "Or is it that you need to learn your magic from scratch that has your panties in a twist?" Umbros clutched his ribs as a fresh wave of laughter bubbled out. The look on Laxus's face said it all, the blonde mage was not happy about the prospects of being retrained like some worthless brat who didn't know what he was dealing with. His pride was hurt and his VAST ego was extremely bruised.

"My Dragon Slayer magic, isn't the only magic I can use you know." Laxus crossed his arms over his chest while continuing to look straight ahead, making sure to avoid eye contact.

"Oh, do tell!" Umbros urged on playfully. "What else can we help you fix?" Laxus couldn't stop the twitch that was forming in his right eye from irritation. He took a deep breath pushing his want to zap his tutor out of his head.

"Look, I may be young, but I have mastered many high level spells, like thought projection. Fairy Magic, is one of the rarest I have achieved which is truly complicated and only Gramps and Lu can preform it other than myself. Fairy Law is the strongest spell in my collection of Magic, but there are others like organic link. I am not a simple Lightning mage, and I don't rely on my Dragon Slayer techniques because Gramps has always told me to keep quiet about being able to use the lycrima." Laxus was trying not to sound defensive because he knew that would lead to more teasing, and he really didn't want or need that. The laughter died away as the two dragons in human form smiled at each other in a way that made them look momentarily crazed.

"That is a rather extensive resume." Constantine stopped in his tracks and turned to survey Laxus with his stormy grey eyes. "Perhaps this will take less time than I originally thought." He place one of his long delicate finger to his chin thinking for a moment. "Well we are almost to the cave where we will be setting up camp."

It took another hour or so before they found themselves at the mouth of an expansive cave. Laxus assumed that this must be Constantine's dwelling because of how naturally he made his way in and rested on an over sized bed of broken tree branches and long grass. He shifted back to his natural form and curled his tail in tightly around himself, covering his long face with a wing.

"For tonight we will rest here, tomorrow we can head up to the summit and start preparing for the physical aspect of Laxus's training." Umbros nodded in agreement as he made himself comfortable in his own corner of the cave, shifting as well so he felt more comfortable to sleep.

Laxus shrugged pulling his pack off and digging through to find his blanket, Levy had insisted on charming everyone's bags after the females had began purchasing something in every town they passed through, and he found that his cousin had taken to shoving several things into his belongings. Natsu and Gajeel had tried their hardest to steer their progress away from civilization as much as possible, but with Lucy's ability to hear peoples thoughts, especially Natsu's, they rarely accomplished their goal. He pulled out the blanket as well as a small tin of dried meats. Laxus settled against the cave wall allowing his muscles to relax, the clouded sky was most definitely going to be helpful when it came to sleeping during broad day light, even then he could hear the tell tale signs that the rain had begun to pound the side of the mountain once more.

Laxus savored the damp air as he ate sparingly from his container. He had always enjoyed the rain, for many reasons, but the most obvious being that it was perfect to see the most brilliant show the sky could offer. A bright flash lit up the dark cave, followed shortly by a great booming clap of thunder. A genuine smile crossed the mage's face before he drifted off to sleep lulled into a peaceful slumber by the calming sounds of the ragging storm.

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><p>Laxus had always thought his tutors as a boy had been extremely harsh, but as of this moment he felt the need to apologize to them for ever thinking such things. Umbros and Constantine were much worse than he could have ever even imagined. (and Laxus was, as Natsu like to put it, a sadistic bastard so he could imagine a lot of horrible things) Truly they were like the drill masters from hell, putting him through torture every waking moment of the day. He was barely allowed to sleep, and given little to no food for the past month (Laxus was grateful for the stash of provisions that Wendy had forced him to pick up before they set out from the town of Oleander, it was becoming a small life saver, but the provisions wouldn't last much longer). He found his body was lacking the energy to do much of anything. The wind force alone was enough to nearly knock Laxus right off the side of the mountain, but his masters were adding things to dodge, like boulders and lightning bolts along with other things. Never in his life had he been pushed this hard.<p>

"Endurance!" Umbros screamed as he continued to hurl heavy objects at the running human. He had taken to the dark and stormy sky above the mountain where he could keep a close eye on the whole training ground. It was much easier to throw things in his natural form where he stood at a might thirteen feet tall, and his strength was increased ten fold from his human form. His dark body blended into the deep grey sky, making it nearly impossible for Laxus to spot the dragon if he were to look skyward. This was the perfect back drop for training, complete concealment so that their student *cough*prey*cough* would never see the attacks coming. Icy rain began to pelted down against the three as they continued to move around the per-arranged training site, occasionally a streak of natural lightning would paint the sky a vibrant shade of blue or purple casting eerie shadow across the shattered remains of the objects Umbros had previously used to catch Laxus off guard.

"Stamina!" Constantine added sending another high voltage bolt which flashed white against the sky, outlining the two dragons before smacking down on earth with great enough force to open a crater. Constantine looked just as impressive as Umbros against the light, his metallic scales shining a deep silver. The light source reflected against his scales intensifying the brilliance of the white lightning, if it had been a normal human surely they would be at least momentarily blinded, but not this mage. Laxus was becoming better at dodging these particular attacks, on occasion he was even able to absorb them, but today he was so tired he only wanted to dodge, and so he did, keeping his mind clear so he wouldn't get hit by the debris that was sent flying by the impact.

"Power!" Umbros hurled a tree, twice his size directly in Laxus's path. It took the blonde mage a few moments to react. Laxus took a his right hand which was now encased in lightning and brought it down in one powerful swing. His attack sent splinters flying through the air as he continued on with his course.

Constantine and Umbros looked at one another, their large eyes glittering with excitement. This was Laxus's best time, in the whole three months they had spent on physical training. He had barely flinched during his evasion tactics or when he plowed straight through his barriers. It seemed the time had finally come to move on. Silently they made plans to start in the morning, they felt like being kind, so they would let the poor human rest tonight. In all honestly Laxus might sleep for a week straight if they were to allow it, but they doubted they would show their little whelp the courtesy.

Once Laxus was finished the last round of his run, he noticed that his tutors had suddenly stopped engaging him, and it had been a while since either had hurled anything heavy while aiming for his head. Curiosity filled his veins with a small burst of adrenaline as he tried to find the presence of his masters. Laxus allowed himself to taste the air, trying to gauge the direction their power was coming from. His eyes widened when he caught the scent of something much different.

Mouth watering, he made his way following the delicious smells of cooking meat. Laxus was surprised to find himself in front of Constantine's cave, but his hunger was over riding every other thought in his head, so he entered with haste.

"Wondered how long it would take him to smell the meat." Umbros laughed tossing a skewer in Laxus's direction. There was silence as Laxus inhaled the meal he had been given.

"Looks like he was hungrier than we thought, it's a good thing we brought extra." Constantine chuckled throwing another skewer in the silent Laxus's direction. The dragons smiled at each other as they observed Laxus's animalistic instincts take him over completely. He devoured anything that was given to him, Umbros even had to venture out on the hunt to restock the supply.

Laxus had never really understood the reason why Natsu always ate as though it was the last meal he would be give. Often he had made fun of the younger mage for his crud table manners, but in this moment he realized that this must be the reason why. When he was training with Igneel he was forced over the edge by his stomach, which was the very basics of survival. Lack of sleep and food awakened him most basic instincts, causing him to become more alert and aware. It was cruel, but effective. Now that his stomach was finally filled to its bursting point, he wanted to satisfy his other need, sleep.

"Why all of the sudden are we having a feast?" Laxus asked as he dug through his bag pulling out a drying rack to hand the little bits of meat that remained. He needed to replenish his supply of dried meats so that he could survive this training. It had already been more than four months, and he was nearly on empty. Carefully he took out the salts and cured the meat using his lightning to speed the process. Internally he smirked, the flame mage wasn't the only one who could use his magic for 'cooking', Laxus knew very well how to use his talents to survive. His exile from the guild had given him time to learn a lot of the basics like this.

"It's a sort of graduation ceremony if you will." Constantine nudged the large bond fire in the center of the cave, cooking what was left of the meats in a similar fashion to Laxus. The mage raised an eyebrow as he looked over at the massive dragon.

"You've passed phase one! Tomorrow we start phase two, so be a good whelp and rest up." Umbros used his tail to pat Laxus across the back before making his way into his corner with his share of the hunt.

"Precisely, rest up. The next step in your training is going to be just as harsh so we need to give you a little re-cooperation time before we can begin. Rest easy tonight." Constantine buried his muzzle in his wing content that he had said everything that he felt necessary, Laxus was left with nothing but the sounds of the ragging storm as he packed the meats that he had finished curing. His tired mind barely bothered to even imagine the new ways these two would chose to torture him later, at that moment the only thing that mattered was the satisfied feelings of completion, and the over whelming need to rest.

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><p>Towards the eastern side of the mountain there were several tributaries branching off from the melting snow that capped the dismal peak. Laxus found himself being subjected to the tortures he himself had once inflicted on a certain Pink haired 'friend' a while ago for his meditation training.<p>

Laxus wished he had teachers that were as kind as he himself had been, allowing breaks for re-cooperation between strikes, or time for hunting to fill his aching stomach. Laxus had barely any time to let these thought ruminate as his training continued no different that it had on the peak of the mountain. Constantine was a pure force of nature, never letting up the barrage of attacks while Laxus made himself a perfect little conductor sitting under the falls. At least the water wasn't as frigid as he had originally expected it to be, and after the first two days the temperature barely fazed his body.

"You have massive amounts of Magic laying dormant inside of you, we can feel it every time you lose your temper! We just need to tap into that so that you don't need to rely on the lycrima any longer!" Umbros who had himself perched at the top of the falls barked loud enough for Laxus to hear over the roaring waters. "Concentrate and this will go a lot smoother for you my friend." Both dragons laughed loudly as Laxus lit up like a Christmas tree once more.

"Once you can tap into that source we can start training to absorb the element properly." Constantine was sure that they were on the verge of a break through, Laxus just needed the proper encouragement. He increased the voltage resulting in his lightning taking on a blue hue, he wouldn't let up the attack till Laxus finished his training, no matter how exhausted he was himself.

They all had lost count of how many hours they had been working at the falls. When Laxus collapsed from the exertion, Constantine had finally agreed to give Laxus some time to eat and sleep before the next round of torture, as he was feeling somewhat fatigued himself. Umbros kept his position at the top of the waterfall, watching his comrade and their whelp as the recovered from what must have been two weeks of sheer will power driving them both to this current point of exhaustion. Laxus was smart enough to have his tin of cured meat along so in all honesty he was better off than his dragon counterparts who had not feasted on much more than stray rabbits over the course of the training. Sleep wasn't as easy in this open clearing, where the sun shown through the dark grey clouds. Laxus took refuge under the cover of the forest pulling his cloak over his head to block out the bright sun as he allowed his body a chance to heal a bit before going right back to this tortuous activity.

It took a few more days for his tutors words to finally sink in.

Laxus could feel the magic that Umbros was talking about, but he was not quit sure how to get his psyche to tap into it. He had been using the lycrima as his booster for so long it was already second nature. It was nearly as automatic as pulling your hand away from a fire for him to use the lycrima as his power source for the Dragon Slayer techniques. The magic within his normal boundaries was what he used for his normal magics, but what Umbros mentioned was something down deeper, much deeper. It was a power he had once tapped into, but couldn't remember how.

He took his mind back to the days where he trained along side his cousin. Often he had caught himself listening to the teachers talk to her differently because of the power she possessed at such a young age. He remembered being jealous that she was able to use her magic even that well, even though it exploded from time to time she still had a feel for it. He trained twice as hard as any other mage he knew, but was always coming up short. He wanted to be a great mage in his own rights, not when compared to his family, especially not his cousin who was 6 years his junior.

Gramps had always been the one there to encourage them both, making sure that they didn't push so far that they would injure themselves. He was always there with a kind smile and a wise word to make both him and Lucy feel that they could handle any difficulty thrown in their path. His father had never been supportive, and constantly called him weak, deep down Laxus hated the man for putting such idea's in his head. Especially now, after everything that happened between their family, Laxus wished that he could pay his old man back for making him feel inferior.

Laxus was never weak, not where it counted. Gramps had always told him that the strength of a mage's heart and conviction was what gave them their power. Ivan had often pushed his son to the side, labeling him as a failure before even giving him a chance to prove himself. Resentment and pure anguish built in his heart over the years, clouding his potential. He would need to learn to let go of his anger and all the other negative feeling before he was able to call out his own potential once more.

The pain of getting hit with a high voltage attack was nothing compared to facing his inner demons, Laxus probably would have chosen to endure one hundred of Constantine attacking at the same time, if it meant he never needed to bring those memories back to the surface. Fear gripped his stomach for the first time in over a decade as he pulled his conscientiousness inward to inspect his memories.

The dragons watched as Laxus became still, his breathing slowing almost to the point of stopping. It seemed to them that Laxus had finally realized that the dragons couldn't help him find a way to access his hidden potential, and now it looked like he was ready to start searching for his own answers.

"I think he's finally figured it out." Umbros called from the top of the falls. He opened his massive wings gliding down to the valley below where his friend sat patiently watching their student.

"I was wondering how long it would take for him to decided to look for the answer." Constantine lay down on his belly, adjusting himself till he found a comfortable position to sleep in. He released a yawn. "Might as well get some shut eye while we wait." Umbros looked back over at the human who sat still as a statue.

"How long do you think it will take." Umbros was already starting to feel bored without Laxus to pick on, so he curled up around himself the same as Constantine had just done.

"Who knows." The massive dragon released a sigh, hoping that Laxus didn't take to long figuring things out.

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><p>"I find it odd that you call that attack a Halberd." Umbros observed the lightning materialized in Laxus's hand with a cool collected gaze.<p>

"And why is that?" Laxus, who was in no mood to be taunted, looked over his weapon carefully.

"Well you throw it like a javelin, a Halberd is more of a tall axe. I was just thinking the name doesn't fit the action." Laxus looked once more at the mass of lightning he held in his hand, thinking over the words, Umbros was right, when it was materialized it looked more like a trident. "You know with a little practice you could fix that."

Laxus put his full attention into the formation of his attack, molding the end into that of an axe with a twelve inch blade in the front and a six inch hook on the opposite side the tip rose another three inches or so to a dangerous looking point. The three inspected the weapon, Constantine with a slight frown shook his head in disapproval before slicing through it.

"What the hell!" Laxus's mood was souring faster by the minute.

"The constitution is all wrong! If I can dispel it with a simple strike how do you expect to use it in real combat?" Constantine folded his arms over his chest frowning at the sparking bits of Laxus's work.

"He has a point, you need to make it tough as possible, you are half way there already though." Umbros patted Laxus on the back before walking away.

Laxus sat on the rocky face of the mountain looking up at the darkening sky, a smile crossed his face. "The constitution of my lightning has never been solid before, I think that's why I always used it as a thrown attack." Laxus lit a yellow spark in the palm of his hand. "It may take me some time to get the hang of compressing this into something solid."

"Take the time you need, but you should head up higher during this storm, I bet that lightning will be tasty." Constantine pointed up where Laxus had been looking. Laxus felt a jolt of excitement because he would actually be able to consume his element in it's natural state. He bid his Masters farewell and made the hike back to the mountains summit.

After a year of this training Laxus was finally ready to take on the 'Special' thing that Constantine had wanted to teach him.

"This technique is special," Constantine perched himself on a boulder just before the cliffs edge. "There has never been a need for a dragon to use it, because we already have wings, but I suppose it would serve as extra armor in my circumstance." Laxus leaned casually against a tree, munching a bit of lunch while listening. "It is called the Thunder gods heavenly wings."

Laxus watched as he master demonstrated this secret technique. Constantine's scales began to glow white hot, sparks flying off as a sheet of pure lightning covered the dragon's body. "It increases your speed by at least thirty percent. Your defense acts as an offense, as any opponent who gets withing ten meters of your technique gets zapped. But the coolest part for you, my little whelp, is that it gives you a set of functional wings." Laxus played like he was bored, but stepped forward laying his tiny meat container on top of his pack. He swallowed his last bit of lunch before looking the dragon over with a critical eye. "The only catch is you have to use Dragon force before you can activate it, but that isn't a problem for you, now is it?" Laxus smirked as he activated his magic, his thick arms covering themselves in scales and a low and steady pulse of electricity surrounded his body.

It only took him three tries you get the new technique mastered.

"I suppose it's time to head back, I'm pretty sure the others have learned all that they can by now." Laxus looked up at the dark sky, with a frown on his face.

"Your going to head back alone." Umbros answered back lazily. "I'm heading home." He received a nod from his other companions before he took off.

"Will you be able to find your way back?" Constantine yawned stretching his legs out lazily.

"I'll follow my nose." Laxus gave a half hearted smile before pulling on his pack. "Well I guess this is good bye then?" Laxus was never good in these sorts of situations, and was unsure how he should act towards the dragon who had given him the things he had desired for so long. It wasn't like he felt the way Natsu did and this dragon was supposed to be some sort of father figure, maybe a crazy sadistic uncle would be a better why to put it. The dragon grunted in response, settling himself for a nice, well deserved nap. "Right, thanks for putting up with me, I'm off."

Constantine stayed quiet, he would never admit it, but he and Umbros both knew that they would miss pissing off this little whelp. He himself was rather proud of the progress the mage had made in such a short time, but it was to be expected of the company the prince kept. Sooner or latter the court would convene and he would see the Blonde mage again, but he knew that would be a while off in the distance. Constantine watched Laxus's silhouette fade into the distance with a heavy sigh.

"Good Luck Laxus."

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A/N:: It will take me a few days for the next chapter, because I am still getting over this virus. I hope you all enjoyed watching Laxus get his comeupance, karma is so sweet some times.

Just in case anyone was thinking Whelp is an insult it's really not, its a way of referring to a dragon's young.

So I've been getting mixed opinions about certain Characters having little ones, Please, In your reviews or by PM let me know what you think, because at this point I have two very different story out lines depending on what you all want. What you chose will help me decided the out come of the WHOLE story, and possible convince me to make a fourth installment... but no promises there.

I've been spending so much time on this that I have been neglecting my own Novel, and my beautiful Lyzander... And as laid back as he is, he really has become inpatient with me... He is getting ready to fight for the glory of his brothers and I need to give him my full attention was he raises his mighty sword against his EVIL nemesis... Not to mention I really need to meet the dead lines I set for myself. T.T

Please please please review for me...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Frozen Sky ans Blood Stained Earth

"That's how it is, Igneel says that it's time for you to train her seriously, and you are to contact him when you feel the human is ready." Metalicana explained in a gruff and irritated tone. "Now I've got to get back to my own brat and toughen him back up. It seems the years with other humans has made him go soft." The great steel dragon took off leaving a slightly panicked Grandine on the edge of a high cliff. She stayed there trying to make sense of what she had been told for a long time.

When she finally decided to make her way back to where Wendy and Icilo were laughing, she found it hard to hide the fact that she was troubled. Usually she was high spirited no matter the circumstances but this news was more than even Grandine the sky dragon could shrug off.

"What was that all about?" Icilo asked, curiosity lighting his clear eyes as he turned away from his conversation with the small human.

"Igneel has given the order to train Wendy and her companions to the best of our abilities." Grandine shifted to her human form and took a seat on the ground near her companions. She played with the snow that was accumulating on the grass next to her still slightly lost in thought.

"What caused him to make such a thing an order, we are planning on do that anyway aren't we?" Icilo's curiosity grew, as did Wendy's upon seeing Grandine run her finger through her course pink hair. A worry line seemed to creep up in between her eye brows as she sized up her beloved Wendy.

"Wendy, can you tell me about that dream Lucy has been having?" The small blue haired girl took a sharp intake of breath, unsure of how her mother knew about her friend's current circumstances, but figured something important must have happened back where the others were currently camped out. That must have been a messenger to give her mother an update on the situation. Wendy tired to keep her cool, as she knew what was going to be happening sooner or later.

"Did Levy-nee finally break the code on the door, is that why you're acting so panicked?" Wendy was a perceptive as ever, this was no surprise to Grandine, but Icilo seemed to be slightly lost. Wendy and Grandine shared a meaningful glace, as silence fell over them for a long minute.

"Draco helped her with the translations, yes. He is certain of what it says, but I want to be sure for myself. Now can you tell me the details of the dream?" Wendy tried to keep her calm as she explained how Lucy seemed to be underground, and that she was lost, and couldn't find her companions. She explained Lucy's powers and how it seemed that either they were in a space where those powers were void, or Lucy was the only one there. She explained in as great a detail as Lucy had what was across the monstrous set of doors and the man in the shadows.

"It has come to her less frequently for the last month or so, but she still wakes up in a cold sweat screaming that she'll protect her family every time. The fear in her eyes is what worries me the most. It's almost like she feels the dream is real." Wendy laid back on the soft snow coated grass and looked up at the sky, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "That is one of the reasons why I want to get stronger." She turned on her side to look at her mother. "I am a Dragon slayer and they are my family. I want to offer more than just medical magic or support magic. I know that Gajeel-nii and Natsu-nii don't want me to fight, not even Lucy-nee does she told me so herself, but I can't let them fight while I stay behind. I can't let them keep protecting me. I'm still young enough that I know there is a lot left for me to learn, but I don't want to be treated like a kid for the rest of my life." Wendy sighed and turned her eyes back to the sky oblivious to Charle, who was frowning deeply. She had her own little visions of what was to come, though she had been keeping them to herself, but she was just as unhappy about Wendy putting herself on the front lines as the others.

Grandine and Icilo listened carefully as Wendy tried to show them with words, the strength of her determination. They knew that Wendy would be stubborn about this, and whether they helped or not was irrelevant because she was planning on fighting no matter what. Not like they could refuse an order from Igneel, but it pained Grandine to think that she would be sending her child off to battle with a very deadly foe not to far into the future.

"Well, there are plenty of sky magics left for you to learn." Grandine smiled light heartedly before laying back in the snowy grass as well. "Doesn't the air here taste nice?" Wendy giggled nodding her head. The two lay in a comfortable silence, enjoying the company they had both sought for many years. "I think for a few days we will take time to go over what you have learned in these past 14 years." Wendy instantly felt slightly uncomfortable as she remembered what had happened over that span of time.

"For us it's really only been seven, we were frozen for seven long years, that's why I've only just turned thirteen. I've learned a lot in the last couple of years though, since I met all my new friends, and Charle is always around to encourage me." Wendy sent her small winged friend a warm smile. "She is my partner, and has been since just after you left." Grandine could feel the sadness that they both experienced from parting so long ago. "Grandeeney, why did you leave?" Wendy rolled over on her belly, playing with her fingering in a manner that gave away how hard she was trying to hold back her tears.

"It was an order from our King. We were to leave, not one of us was allowed to interfere with the humans any longer. The only way to make sure of that was for all of us to come home." Grandine didn't fight the tears that streamed down her face. "I never wanted to leave. We barely got any time together, and you were so small and fragile, but Igneel's word is law so I had no choice."

"That doesn't explain why." Wendy wanted to be angry but seeing her mother the way she was, in one piece and crying over her actions, seemed to quell any resentment she had ever held, calming her own tirade of tears. Wendy only felt joy here in the presence of the one who had raised her, who was the only parent she had ever known, and whom she loved deeply.

"Igneel would never answer that question for me either, he just said it needed to be this way." Wendy's smiling face calmed the dragon's tears. Grandine found herself gathering the small child up in her arms in a hug that had been long over do. "Do you know how proud I am to see how far you have come?" Wendy nodded, returning the hug just as warmly.

"Well now that the reunion is over we can get back to business." Icilo laughed casting a puff of frosted breath into the air. "Wendy you have the Sky Dragon's Roar mastered right?"

"I wouldn't say mastered, but yes I learned how to use a breath attack." Wendy smiled at the frost dragon, watching as he tapped a long finger on his chin. Icilo cast his gaze toward the sky as he lost himself in thought.

"That must be you're biggest offensive move right?" He asked after a long time.

"I suppose so, but Lucy-nee gave me those other spells that were passed down from the ancient Sky Dragon, they are on a level far greater than my breath attack." Wendy's eyes sparked with the hope that she could master those spells. She was part of this whether anyone else liked it or not, and she was going to do everything in her power to stand tall beside her brothers and sisters when the time came.

Charle kept quiet as she watched on from a slight distance. She was glad that Wendy had not only gotten to see her Jellal once more, but now she was getting to spend time with her mother. Wendy had already been through so much in her short years of life, the pain from her losses was something that had made Charle want to protect her from everything. Deep down she wanted to take all the burdens away from her closest friend, to give her freedom from the ache she masked with a smile. Charle had watched her friend grow over the past 'year' since they joined Fairy Tail, it was remarkable to see not only her magic improve, but also the sadness was always shrinking, even if it was only a little bit at a time. It was enough that Charle had become comfortable enough to get close to the others as well. Wendy was no longer the timid child who had belonged to Catshelter, she was now a proud, and strong mage of Fairy Tail and everything about her was beginning to radiate confidence and pure power.

Charle didn't like to admit it, but she had started to come round about Happy in some ways. He was just as brave and loyal as his best friend Natsu, which was admirable in its own rights. Charle had taken him more seriously since they returned from Edolas, and found that she honestly enjoyed his company, though she wished he would stop trying to buy her affections with fish. The blue feline often acted differently when they were alone, he would cast off his childish nature, and let the person who was intelligent and charismatic come through. It was in those times that Charle could see it progressing pasts the acknowledgement stage of their relationship, but it was all to frequent that he would revert back to his happy-go-lucky side kick routine, and that irritated her to no end.

Here she found herself missing his antics though. She was unsure of how long they all would be separated, and it came as a shock to her that the fact that she wouldn't be seeing him made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

"Charle has powers too." Wendy's voice broke through the white cat's day dreams as the three turned to look in her direction. "She can use wing magic, and she has foresight." Charle watched Wendy light up with pride as she spoke. "It's really quite amazing." Charle just smiled nodding her head slightly in agreement.

"You are supposed to train with Wendy." Grandine said while standing up and dusting off her long gown. Her long loose hair whipped around her in the gusting winds, making her look very wild and whimsical. Everything about Grandine made Charle and Wendy feel at ease, like it was the most natural thing in the world to be here at this moment in a dimension where time was nearly irreverent and their companions were all off getting trained with dragons as their masters.

"I intended to from the start." Was Charle's simple answer.

Charle watched as Icilo instructed Wendy to show him all the moves she was able to use so far. It was a grand showing, especially when she began to show them how she had learned to use her wind around her hands like Natsu used his flames.

"If I do this my melee attacks are increased in both speed and power, since I can't use a lot of other attacks, I find that this is really helpful in close combat situations." Wendy demonstrated the combat skills she had been honing for the past five months, all the tutors she had worked with so far had given her a very mixed style of fighting. Gajeel and Natsu were the type that taught her to go all out on your enemies, but never so far that it would kill them. Lucy and Laxus taught her more of the ways to size your enemies up in the first few minutes of the battle, and to always keep your strongest moves in reserve so that if you were underestimated by your opponent you could use the element of surprise against them.

Wendy and Icilo were enjoying their little sparing match while Grandine and Charle watched from a short distance away.

"Thank you." Charle was slightly confused as to whom the lovely woman was speaking to, she looked around for a moment making Grandine laugh. "Thank you for looking after her." Charle was about to say something witty when she saw the tears well up in the dragon's eyes once more. "It warms my heart to see that my precious Wendy has found herself a real home, with a real family. Charle, promise me you'll always stay by her side." Shock kept words from forming so Charle simply nodded before turning back to watch Wendy land a well placed kick on the much taller opponent's rib cage.

Icilo laughed as he fell over backwards, complimenting her ability to get though his defenses. The continued their sparring match for a few more hours, to test Wendy's endurance. Luck was on Wendy's side from her time training with her dear sisters. The first lessons she had learned, even going back to her training with Gajeel were that the combatant who lasted the longest was usually the one to win the fight. Endurance was the first and most prominent lesson through out any training she had encountered so far.

Wendy showed them her strength when it came to the precision of her attacks, she wasted no extra energy, and made sure every physical action corrilated with the amount of force she was inflicting on her opponent.

"You have been trained well." Icilo huffed in near exhaustion. "But you aren't going in for a killing blow, why is that?" Grandine smiled to herself as she watched with pride.

"I am a Mage of Fairy Tail, and I have have no need to take a life." Wendy lifted herself from her crouched position, steadying herself just in case the frost dragon decided to strike out at her once more.

"Well said." Icilo laughed, clapping his hands happily. The dragons stepped of to talk among themselves for a few moments. When they came back the transformed and beckoned the two young mages to follow their lead off to what Wendy assumed would be their training ground.

The weeks seemed to fly by as they trained on the tallest portion of mountain range. They had been up so high that Charle found it hard to breath from time to time. It was freezing for the most part as well, leaving the none dragons to nurse sore cold limbs before settling into the cave on the side of the mountain. Icilo had insisted that they all stay together because he planned to over see Wendy's physical training. The cave wasn't anything special, but it had become a place they came home to after training in the heavy snow. Wendy was glad for the charm Levy had placed on their bags, which allowed her to pack much more than she would have been able to carry by herself.

In this particular climate both Wendy and Charle gave up on wearing dresses and skirts, opting for warmth in away way possible. It had taken Wendy two months to master the basics of frost magic, it hadn't truly been that much of a difference from using her sky magic. She found that infusing her two magics into one attack proved to make her attacks more effective, and powerful. Icilo was rather impressed with her progress and continued on to help her master the secret ancient dragon techniques for the sky, as well as a few defensive frost magics.

Charle spent her time working on expanding her magic complicity as the group had been doing since Lucy returned from the spirit world. She also tried to force her foresight abilities to sharpen. It took months of dedication and sheer will power, but she knew she was growing. She was finally able to see things on command, and more than a day ahead. Wendy had been training just as hard, mastering a technique that she dubbed "Sky Maiden Secret technique: Frozen Sky".

Up here in the mountains it was difficult to tell what effect it would have in real combat situations, but Wendy explained it to Charle as an ability that allowed her specific control of the atmosphere, and she was able to create a situation that was similar to a blizzard. Wendy was gaining control over the whole of her element. Where before she was only able to sense things like a change in pressure or a drop in humidity just by tasting the air, now she was able to manipulate these aspects of her element.

"Do you really have to leave?" Icilo looked more distraught than Grandine at the news.

"I'm sure the others have all headed back to the clearing, I have a duty to my family, and if they are all ready than I need to be as well." Wendy had grown taller in her nearly two years of training, her clothing was tight, and as she had become used to the cold climate her skirts had become rather short. Wendy hadn't looked at herself in the mirror for a long time, but she knew that she was beginning to fill out and mature on the outside just as much as she had on the inside.

"You don't want us to go with you do you?" Grandine's voice was soft and full of a bittersweet pride in the young woman who was standing before her. Wendy smiled and shook her head whipping her long braided hair back and fourth.

"It's best if Charle and I head back alone." Grandine wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her in for a close hug.

"Show the others just how strong you have become my little one." A fond smile played across her face as she released her child.

"When this is all over maybe we can come to see you some time." Icilo rubbed at the back of his neck with a sheepish grin on his face.

"We would like that, right Charle?" Wendy turned to her friend who nodded with a bored expression.

Wendy handed Charle her pack before pulling on her own. With one last wave she summoned her wind to take her off in the direction of the place they had all been told to meet back at. Excitement coursed through her veins as she realized that she was one step closer to her final goal. A wide smile over took her features as she watched the snow covered scene, she had become so used to, slip away.

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><p>Gajeel was sent flying yet again, his back snapping several trees into splinters as he continued. Blood flowed freely from his mouth as well as several deep wounds all over his body. When he finally landed in the river with a large splash he made up his mind that he would just stay there for a little while.<p>

Memories of his youth had never seemed this brutal, but then again he was a child and children want to believe that their parents have the best intentions towards their children. His father at this moment seemed hell bent of making him tougher than the steel he coated his body with, in the most painful and brutal ways he could imagine. Over the months that they had been 'sparring' his father had nearly killed him several times over.

"WHERE ARE YOU LITTLE BRAT?" Gajeel ignored the enraged screams of his former father, his body begging for comfort. No matter how many scraps he had gotten himself into with the other members of the guild he had never seemed to feel this inferior before, not even when he lost to the idiot flame eater. Gajeel felt that he was losing more than just his dignity with every nearly fatal blow. He was glad that no one was around to watch him fail so miserably. His father's screams continued to echo across the wide valley, his shrill voice sounding on the edge of insanity as he called for the human to show his disgraceful face.

The cool water from the river eased the pain a little, but it was enough to settle his troubled heart. Absentmindedly he brushed his fingers along the mark on his chest, a smile crept up across his features as he remembered why he was here. He now knew what had happened to his foster parent, and he was supposed to be training to get stronger. The only way to do that would be to fight seriously, putting everything on the line. Gajeel had already known that there wasn't much else that his father could offer him now, no their hearts had grown in very different directions, and he was no longer the monster that this dragon had created.

"What Dragon Slayer are you, Brat? You have no intent to kill anymore! How can you call yourself my son?" The dragon was beyond irate as he called out the mage with the most vile insults he could come up with.

Gajeel felt the pride swell in his chest as he picked himself up out of the river, water cascading down taking the dirt and dried blood with it. For once in his life Gajeel had a place that he truly called home, and people who he cared for. Levy had given him so much, and so had the others. Gajeel was happy for the first time, truly happy and he was going to fight to the death to protect his happiness. It only took him a few minutes to make his way to where the enormous metal dragon was pacing calling out for his 'lousy excuse for a dragon slaying son' the words rolled off the tall dark haired mans back this time as he readied himself to fight.

"I am stronger than you think." Gajeel covered himself in his metal scales. The dragon merely scoffed as he released a gust of shrapnel infused breath. Gajeel took the attack head on, without flinching. In a flash he positioned himself in the air above his former parent and unleashed his demon sword, biting into the dragons neck. "You want me to show you the strength of my Dragon Slaying, then here you are, father." A roar of pain echoed across the low valley, Gajeel was certain that you could hear it for miles. He wasted no time in taking the life of the last cold hearted iron dragon. His heart cried out for the lose, but deep down Gajeel was sure that this was how things were supposed to play out.

Slowly he walked back to the river side, allowing feeling he had pushed down his whole life to bubble to the surface. Gajeel was so lost in himself that he barely noticed the small dragon curled up on his lap, his deep chocolate brown scales shining as he buried his face in the dragon slayers lap. Xylon had watched for months while that great Metalicana beat his 'child' into near oblivion. Often he had wanted to intervene but was more than aware that he, a gentle earth dragon was no match for a very serious iron dragon. All he could do was lay in wait until something was resolved.

No one should have to go though such things, Xylon felt the pain it must have caused the rugged looking human to take down the dragon he called a parent, but if he hadn't surely he himself would be the one who's cold body was leaking it's last ounces of blood into the earth. There was no telling how long the two sat in silence waiting for something to make sense again, and finally it happened. Heavy drops rained down on the brown dragon's face, he looked up to see that the young man named Gajeel was crying, and in a manner that was not meant to be seen by other people. The heart that had for so long been wrapped in metal was now vulnerable and Gajeel was unsure what he was supposed to do next.

Xylon gave Gajeel space for a few days, letting reality sink in as he processed what he had done and came to terms with it. On the fifth day he finally spoke, looking at the small dragon that lay next to him.

"Well, I guess if I was able to kill my master there is nothing more for me to learn." Gajeel heaved a sigh shifting before pushing himself into a sitting position.

"I can teach you something that might be helpful." Xylon's voice was calm and reassuring, he had made the decision to stay in his normal form in front of Gajeel for the simple fact that he wanted to be taken seriously.

"And what is that? You are an earth dragon, I have no interest in the type of magic you perform." Gajeel reached for his pack pulling himself to his full height. He began to walk off the way that they had come the first day of training.

"That's a pity, because I know iron isn't always easy to find in the middle of a battle field. I figured you might be interested in learning how to extract it from the elements of the earth, but I guess I judged you wrong. Well then have a nice trip." Gajeel stopped in his tracks turning back to size the small dragon up, it only took him a few moments to make up his mind.

"Fine, but I'm not staying here, teach me with we travel." Xylon wasted no time as he joined the man who was walking much slower. They discussed the theory of earth magic, and how one could use it to separate iron ore and lead out of the earth itself. It took a week of traveling for them to pick a new home for Gajeel to train on putting this theory into practice. It was easier than either had anticipated for the dragon slayer to master the element of the earth. It was also useful to be able to control the individual elements of the earth, Gajeel found that with the right mixtures he was able to create small explosions which would come in hand when they entered a combat situation.

Gajeel was through with the training in less that five months and found himself wanting for the company of other people.

Panther Lily had kept mainly to himself for the duration of Gajeel's trials, knowing full well that his friend needed to face his problem head on in order to be satisfied with himself. The black cat took that time to work on his own short comings. Over the year that they had been separated from everyone else Lily had increased his 'battle mode' time limit to around a half an hour. He took the time to practice his swordsmanship as well as expand his own magical limit.

When the time finally came, Xylon was the one to bid them farewell. He two had been away from his family for such a long time that he could barely stand the idea of being away for any longer.

"I trust you will find your way back alright. Take care of yourself and your family." The brown dragon took to the sky as he yelled his parting words, disappearing into the lush tree line.

"I guess it's time to head back buddy." Gajeel slung his pack over his shoulder with a satisfied smirk before making his way back to were they had agreed to meet up.

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Next chapter is back to real time guys. We only have Natsu and Lucy left and then it's back to everyone being together again! No one commented on the last chapter, so I hope you all didn't hate it... but I don't really care at this point, I'm writing this for my own entertainment as much as yours. I'm sorry in advance if this has left you wanting for something different, but I don't want to be like every other writer and do something predictable. Once we leave the Dragon's Lair all hell is going to break loose, and I myself am in tears with some of the things I'm writing. But it needs to be done.

Yep so that's where I'm at. Since no one answered me from the last chapter I am going to chose option 3... which I didn't give to you all! MAWAHAHAHAHAHA!

I'll have the next chapter up a hell of a lot faster now that my daughter's break is finally over, and I'm not so sick any more. For those of you who are still reading, thanks. ^_^

~Chrys


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: I'm sorry with how long I've made you wait, but as I was proof reading this chapter, it just didn't feel right... so I deleted it and started over. This chapter will be shorter, because I'm breaking it into two and possibly three chapters, so forgive me, but I do hope you enjoy it!**_

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Chapter 6: Fate is calling

Gajeel released a heavy sigh as he watched his wife disappear off into the distance. She seemed so happy giggling as she watched the small dragons do small loops in the air. Laxus was next, taking off toward a mountain with a dark and ominous looking sky, Laxus gave a last salute before he disappeared himself. He was the only one left sitting at the table other than Draco the Celestial Dragon. Wendy was already off somewhere, he hoped that she would use the lessons that the group had taught her to keep herself safe. Gajeel worried for her as though she were his real sister, it was actually a little painful to be seperated from her as well as his wife, they had all been together every moment since the whole dragon link incident, and he had grown rather accustom to having it that way.

Gajeel was some what relieved that Levy wouldn't be with him for his training, even though it hurt his heart to be away from her. He didn't want her to witness how incredibly ruthless his father could be, she would surely be worried if she saw how he would almost definitely get injured. Metalicana wasn't exactly hiding his murderous intent here either, Gajeel had felt it the moment he had come near his foster parent. He was not looking forward to the beat down that would be coming when their training started. Gajeel knew he needed something to take his mind off of his impending torture so when he saw the tall graceful man, with his silken golden hair, standing ready to make his way toward his own charge, Gajeel followed close behind.

He was smart enough to keep his mouth shut as they entered the small cabin, knowing that Lucy and Natsu were still in pretty bad shape and would most likely take the news poorly. Natsu seemed to have finally been able to open his eyes, which had calmed the very frustrated looking Lucy more than he could tell from the way she looked. Her usually well kept appearance was in shambles, her hair matted and her eyes red and puffy from hours of shameless weeping. Gajeel felt a tinge of understanding and compassion for his comrades.

He himself didn't think he could handle half of the challenges that his friends had gone through already. Battling with an enemy was one thing, it was easy to let yourself become a vicious animal when the time came, it was being human and dealing with the emotions that came with it that was more difficult than he could ever explain to anyone. He had always found it easier to keep himself at a distance, never allowing anyone close enough to cause this particular type of pain. Gajeel could handle broken bones, even bruised organs, but he was sure that if something were to happen to these people, especially Levy that he would completely lose himself to the darkness of hatred.

Draco paced slowly in the center of the room feeling overwhelmed by everything that he needed to tell them, he could barely form the sentences as he looked between them. How long had it been since Igneel had come to tell the dragons that there was finally hope, and that these children held the destiny of freeing them from the agony that they had endured for countless centuries? The idea that children like them were the key to everything rocked the very foundation of the proud dragon's being. Draco was about to settle his nerves and tell them what had come to pass, but was silenced when the gruff voice of the young iron dragon slayer broke through the silence.

"The mystery of the door in your dream has been solved brat." Gajeel kept his distance, leaning against the wall to hide the tension in his squared off shoulders. "It's a demonic chamber that essentially sucks out your soul and your magical powers leaving you to live on as an empty container for the rest of time." It was a simple and effective explanation, clear cut and to the point just like Gajeel himself. He felt that the dragon was having trouble putting things into words that would keep them from panicking so he took it upon himself to do the deed. Lucy had every right to know exactly what it was that she had been seeing, and he knew that knowing the full truth would drive her to find a way to change their fate.

He had been paying attention when Lucy explained that she felt like they were behind the door, and now he knew what that had meant. If it got to the point that Lucy had seen, it was clear that they had failed in their mission, and every last one of them was dead, and the man in her vision had gained the power of the reaper, so he was as powerful as all of them combined. Lucy was an incredible mage, but he knew that once the others rejoined that everyone would be close to if not at the level she was at the very moment. A combination of all their powers would be nearly unbeatable, even for her. Gajeel knew that she hadn't shown them the full extent of her powers, but still taking on three first generation Dragon slayer, Laxus and Levy after being trained for any amount of time with the dragons was going to be an intense battle.

Gajeel was afraid, nearly terrified, and Lucy could sense it. Her gut twisted with the feelings of his heart, she knew exactly what he meant, and she hated to admit it, but she agreed. There was no way she could take on their powers combined, not alone, but Lucy knew that she would fight to the death no matter what happened. Everything had finally started to fall into place, everything she had seen up to this point had finally fit together, and she felt his fear, marred with hatred for the people who would cause their family this type of pain.

Silence enveloped the room as the words Gajeel spoke sunk in.

Natsu could barely raise his head, but he was thankful that he had regained his consciousness as well as the use of his vocal cords only a short time ago, but his body was still not ready for the stress of moving around. He had listened just as closely to the taller man speak, unaware of the fear behind his words. His connection from the dragon's link had temporarily been affected by the seal breaking, so when the flood of Lucy's emotions hit him he felt completely paralyzed. Right at the front of everything was the nearly tangible fear shared between his friends, it was completely heartbreaking to listen to their inner voices echo the same words over and over. As Natsu got over the shock of the link reconnecting, everything that had happened while he was unconscious came flooding through him catching him up to speed on the conditions his team/family were currently in. Natsu felt slightly guilty for everything that his friends had been put through during this process, it wasn't fair that he had to drag the others into something this painful, and dangerous. Deep down though he knew that each and everyone of his new family would have come whether or not they had been invited. Natsu knew that he would have done the same had their situations been reversed, fate had bound them all together, and the only way they would make it through this was to stick together and see it through till the very end.

"Igneel has sent your other companions off with private tutors." Draco broke the tense silence after observing the worried glance between the married couple. "Each of them has two capable teacher who will guild them to a point where they will be suited to fight along side the heads of the family."

Lucy sat listening to every word of the dragon's explanations and what Igneel had ordered. Everyone was separated now, off on their own for god knows how long, while the two of them were still trapped due to injuries. Her head began to spin from pure shock that they had all left with out so much as a good bye.

"I'll be heading out once Metalicana comes back from explaining everything to Grandine. It seems her and Wendy had already headed out before the rest of us." Gajeel was almost ready to head out himself, knowing full well what was waiting for him. As he put his hand on the door knob Natsu spoke out in a scratchy voice.

"Do what needs to be done. No one here will judge you if it comes the that, remember Gajeel we are a family." Gajeel froze in his tracks, knowing what the fire breather meant, but felt as though he couldn't believe that such a person would approve of something so terrible. Gajeel already knew that it might come down to a one on one death match between him as his father, especially when the dragon had looked him over with his impassive and cold steel grey eyes. It was nearly a certainty.

"If Levy gets back before I do, don't tell her. If it comes to that I want to be the one to explain myself." With out waiting for a response he continued. "If I don't... make sure to take care of her for me." Gajeel turned the knob and made his way out of the cabin.

Lucy watched the exchange with a grimace knowing full well what they were talking about. In the situation, Lucy would have been certain that Natsu would have gone ballistic at the very idea of a death match between father and son, but it seemed that now everything was slightly different. It was a custom for Metalicana's breed, and there was no way around the inevitable. Gajeel would have to do what was right by him, and handle this. Lucy had no doubt that Gajeel was strong enough to hand the deed, but she was also aware that he was still human and taking life was never easy.

"Everyone is off now, what are we supposed to do, just sit here and wait?" Lucy sounded impatient as she observed the Dragon who only sighed as a reply. Lucy tapped her foot impatiently on the floor, keeping her gaze as menacing as possible, it took a while to ware the dragon down enough for a real response.

"Right now what is important is that you both heal up properly. We have all the time in the world to do what is necessary, and there is still many things that need to be discussed." Draco had himself seated at the small table that was over by the window, the thick wool curtains were drawn back letting in the light of the noon high sun. "There are many things that I myself do not understand." His voice betrayed his frustration, as he gazed out at the forest beyond the window.

"I agree, we need to heal properly before either of us can run off to train." Natsu leaned himself back against the rough pillows on the bed, wincing slightly as his still sore abdominal muscles tightened. Lucy was by his side in a matter of seconds hands glowing as she prepared to heal anything he may have re-injured. Natsu waved her off quickly. "I'm not hurt would you stop worrying so much." The situation they were in was already doing a great job of grating on his nerves, it had begun facilitating his pent up aggression rather well. Natsu was sure that if her wasn't careful it would be directed at someone in an unhealthy manner especially if he didn't get out of that room soon.

"I don't want to run off and train right this moment, but I also don't just want to sit here waiting for everyone else to come back, it makes me feel useless." Lucy keep her eyes averted, careful not to make contact with either male. Her pride was shaken along with her deep rooted fears of the dreams becoming reality.

"Igneel will be coming for Natsu when the time is right." Draco took a few deep breaths before looking back at the young couple. "I'm here to over see Lucy with the remainder of her training, as Igneel has commanded." Lucy walked over to her own bed folding her legs into her chest. She laid her head on her knees allowing the turmoil inside her mind to flow freely around as silence fell in the small room once more. Natsu listened to her thoughts, making sure he was fully aware of everything she knew. Lucy kept a blank stare plastered across her face as the hours went by, she was happy that there were no clocks to tell the time, because she knew that if there had been one its ticking and tocking would surely have driven her mad.

"My time line is all messed up now." Lucy's nerves were showing from under her calm facade when she finally couldn't stand the images in her mind any longer. "I have to get some form of bearings to stand on before I can go anywhere." She leaned over and pulled up her pack, rummaging through till she found the documents she was looking for. She fretted over the many pages of lists she had worked on over the travels. Mira and the others had been working hard to recruit as much help as possible, but the details were all still so uncertain that they were finding it difficult.

"The guild has been greatly weakened in the past seven years, we have lost a lot of members." This was the reality of being dead last in rank, but the core members were all back and working to catch up to where the enemies were. Over the time that had passed, some of the mages who had been newly instated had returned once they had heard rumors of the S-class mages re-appearing as well as the candidates for S-class. Faith in the guild was being established from scratch, and with a 'battle royal' for the masters seat being spread out as credible information, it seemed that a lot of mages were willing to take the chance to return.

"The last we heard from Mira, some of the dark guilds were on the move." Natsu figured working on a battle plan might not be a total waste of time since he would be stuck in the bed for at least a few more days, and it would divert his attentions for the most part. Lucy was the one who did the thinking, she and Levy had served as the stratigists while the men were the acting force. Wendy was the support and medical crew. It was a well balanced team, and Natsu was sure with there powers taking down those guilds would be nearly too easy. The problem all came down to how reliable their information was.

"We have our major players, everyone that was on the island is currently working on getting stronger. Then we have to members who were left behind like Max and Macao, even Romeo. I want to keep the young ones as far out of the line of fire as possible." Lucy was scribbling on some scrap pieces of paper working out the numbers that they had to deal with, as she recounted everything out loud.

"And there are the mages of Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scales that had agreed to support us. We may not have the numbers we used to, but that's never stopped us before." Natsu smiled as he threw his hands around wildly to bring his point home.

"This isn't going to be like any other battle, even though you are aware of what you're up against, if some how the barrier to the door's realm is breached..." Draco ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't think that even the both of you combined could stop the repercussions once that happens, for the simple reason that magic is void in that space, except for the reaper himself." Draco leaned back in his chair looking up towards the sky. "Many of us gave our lives to seal that horrid thing, including Adelaide one of the most talented of our kind. She was the one who created the seal, and made sure the cursed black dragon couldn't get back inside." Draco looked as though he were lost in a fond memory, his gaze softening ever so slightly.

"This must be hard for you." The statement came out quieter than Lucy had wanted, letting in float in the air around them like a wisp of some dream that had once been held by these amazing creatures.

"It never gets easy, but life moves on and so do we. I'm not the only one who lost a mate in those battles." Natsu couldn't help but feel sorry for this creature, Draco knew the pain of lose so much deeper than most others, and his heart resounded with a similar pain.

"I'm so sorry." Lucy couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes, but she knew that he didn't want her pity so she brushed them away before he could catch sight of them.

"A lot of the bloodlines were completely wiped out by the great battles, it's only natural that mates would lose one another. It was the reality we had to live with for hundreds of years. If it weren't for Igneel and the others of his generation we may have lost even more, during those last battles. He had been at the front of every battle, rallying for our victory. He was one of the lucky ones, his mate had stayed behind opting to take care of the younger generations. It was a real shock when his own daughter went mad." Draco laughed. "She found herself in her human form, and was convinced that she was one. She left the colony and it drove Igneel crazy. He searched for her for years, and when he finally got close, he found Natsu instead."

"That's tragic." Lucy kept her eyes glued to the floor knowing that Natsu didn't want to see the look of pity on her face as much as Draco hadn't.

"You know there hasn't been peace in this world since the great wars, you would think that we would get some form of reprieve after what we all had to go through. Igneel and what was left of the Ancients worked for hundreds of years to bring it about, but there was nothing we could do. Igneel tired his damnedest when he found your mother, Lucy, they tried to settle things between the spirits and the dragons, in hopes that we could join forces to take down the growing threat that was consuming the world again, but they weren't successful. I was never told the specific details of what happened, and Igneel doesn't like to talk about it, but I can assume it was extremely hard on him. Their efforts gave us new hope when the two of you came into the picture, though. The Fates had told us when it all began, to look for you, and here you are, bringing the two sides together, as well as the humans." He rested his chin in his hand as he continued. "We all took turns coming to watch over all of you before Igneel made the order for us not to interfere, none of us could keep away. You are the hope that has been keeping us going in this never ending cycle of sadness. Many of us have also been watching your friends closely to make sure that you are getting the best support possible. There are many magics that have been waiting for the right people to master them, and it has been my task to help Igneel decided who was best suited for which techniques." The dragon sighed deeply once more. "Everything will work itself out in the end, I'm sure of it." Draco sent them a smile that seemed slightly forced before turning back to the window.

"So Igneel had this in mind before we got here?" Natsu asked the obvious question, cause the other two to chuckle.

"We've just been waiting for all of you to get here." Draco finally stood up from the table and stretched his arms above his head. "I'll be back for you soon Lucy, I have a feeling that your friend Levy may be able to use some of the books I have stashed away in my private collection. I'll be back once I've arranged for someone to deliver them to her." Draco bowed politely as he excused himself from the small shack.

* * *

><p><em>"Focus your energy on keeping the balance of the magics even, once you have the balance down we can move on." Igneel watched on as Natsu worked to balance his fire magic with Makarov's fire magic. "Once you can balance it you can consume it completely, using it as if it were your own power." Igneel used a firm voice as he watched the two battle back and forth. Natsu was nearly immune to the flames of a dragon, so it had been far to easy for him to assimilate the powers of Igneel's fire into himself. Makarov had offered his services to help in any way he could. Young Natsu had been taking his time to gauge his opponent, and get a proper feel for the the magic his elder used. It took several rounds of flames being thrown back and fourth in the wide expanse of the clearing before Natsu was finally able to get the none dragon fire consummation down properly. <em>

_"How was that?" Natsu beamed with pride as he approached his grandfather._

_"You are doing very well my son, soon you will be able to learn to absorb the other elements just as easily as fire." Igneel reached out a calloused hand and ran it through the young boys spiky hair._

_"Now show me the three basic dragon slayer attacks." Igneel watched his grandson walk back over to Makarov who was only a foot shorter than Natsu himself. Pride and anticipation filled the dragon's heart as he watched the young boy train his heart out, as he did every day._

* * *

><p>"Come now, you can do better than this." Igneel chuckled as he watched Natsu, a full grown man, relearn all the things he had done as a young child. It was taking less time than he had originally planned. Natsu seemed to have already learned how to consume other elements, and infusing them with his fire during his years of being sealed. Lightning seemed to be the one element he had the most practice with and had actually used it in combat. Lucy had been smart to send Natsu off to train with Laxus in the fashion she had, his grandson had always responded better to physical lessons rather than explanations and charts or learning the theory behind the magic first. His hands on approach is honestly what made Natsu so well apt to battle with opponents who would always underestimate him due to his size and silly nature.<p>

"You say that like this is easy old man!" Natsu found himself facing off against a dragon that was twice his size, her scales glittered in the sun with there metallic coating before they began to spark with a bright purple charge. She growled dangerously preparing for another attack. Igneel had ordered her to fight him like he was a real enemy, and she had taken his words to heart, and attacked the mage with her full ferocious nature. Her sparks spread out around her like a halo, before she sent another attack crashing towards Natsu who barely dodged to his left.

"It's no different than what you did with Laxus." Natsu laughed inwardly as he remembered the brutal torture inflicted on him while learning to balance the two different types of magic in his internal container. This dragon was a lot more skilled with her attacks than Laxus, and she had the advantage of flight on her side, all these things made it difficult for Natsu to memorize the feel of her powers. "Your not going to get the time to feel out your enemies in battle Natsu. Listen to your instincts, now that your dragon blood has been awakened again, it should feel more natural to do it this way." Natsu gritted his teeth as he prepared for her next attack. He allowed himself to just do, instead of think, breathing in and feeling the burning buzz of her magic fill him. He kept his magic securely contained as he worked on condensing the new power.

"Lightning fire dragon's roar!" Natsu released his infused attack, striking his opponent directly. She crashed to the ground breathing irregularly. Natsu swallowed back the the roar of victory as he rushed over to make sure he hadn't killed her.

"You still show mercy for your opponents." Igneel's tone noted that he was not shocked, but rather displeased.

"I will not take a life if I don't have to." Natsu recovered and straightened himself to his full height showing his grand father how seriously he took this particular moral. "Fighting is one thing, but I'm not a killer."

::

::

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><p><strong>I hope that you all feel a tad bit better about Gajeel's action in the previous chapter after his conversation with Natsu. It was difficult for me to force that out come, but it was also something that needed to be done. I'll have the next chapter up soon. <strong>

**~Chrys**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Dragon Elements

Being the person Natsu was he found it difficult to hear those words from his own family. Igneel had always been encouraging, and understanding, so the sheer disappointment in his grandfather's voice cut straight through to Natsu's very core.

"With out the intent to kill, you will never beat these opponents Natsu." Igneel leaned against a large boulder with a disapproving look on his face. Natsu cursed under his breath as he jumped high in the air dodging the water from his opponent's attack. "Water is your weakness, Natsu especially as a fire mage. If you can't absorb his power then the training ends here." Natsu's temper flared as he watched the grand blue dragon raise her head to the sky ready to strike once more. Her sleek body coated itself in the condensed water from the clouds above her head, and she shined with the blue light of her magic.

Natsu had been working to damn hard for everything to stop here, he wouldn't allow it. He needed to come up with a way to beat her, just like he had for every other opponent so far.

Elemental training was excessively draining, and his body was already sluggish from the strain of consuming elements other than his own. In the first few months that he and Igneel had spent going over the basics Natsu had learned that he would be going through a special training involving all of the elements. Fire, Lightning, earth, water, wind, frost, spirit and iron, Natsu was expected to master them all.

Natsu had agreed with out complaint, the information about the Door of the Damned had made Natsu realize that he might be the only one capable of taking on an opponent that was able to absorb other elements just like he could. He needed to do anything possible to raise the probability of their success against such a lethal enemy.

Igneel had explained that Natsu was a very special type of Dragon, with a very unique ability that only Igneel and Draco's mates had been able to master. Ignacia had been a fire dragon just like Igneel, but in her case she was also a master of many other elements, they had called her the Ethereal Fire Dragon because of her skills. Adelaide had been a Celestial dragon who was able to master a magic that no one wanted to speak about, but he got the feeling that it was what allowed her to seal the Door of the Damned. From the stories that Igneel had told him, that simple act had cost her all her power, and eventually killed her.

Natsu had been proud that he had inherited such a trait from the grand mother that he had never gotten to meet, but the sadness in Igneel's voice as he talked about her awakened the pain in Natsu's own heart. He wished secretly that he could have at least gotten the time to get to know such an amazing creature, but he knew that the time for that was long past. It was time for Natsu to grow up and realize that everything dies. He could expect something like what had happened with Lissanna to ever happen again. Natsu and Igneel had lost so much of their family already, Natsu refused to lose anyone else, not by blood and not by common bonds. He was old enough to know that war meant death, but everything he was doing was to keep that from happening. Fairy Tail was his adoptive family no matter what way you looked at it, he had grown up there, and he would protect them with his very life.

Natsu had vowed to get stronger, to protect everything he held dear, and now was time to make good on his promises.

* * *

><p><em>Igneel looked toward the sky, which was obscured with dark clouds, he hurried his young charge to get under some shelter before the skies had a chance to open up on them. Igneel was grateful to find a cave large enough for the both of them, they truly needed to rest. The journey across the continent was wearing the old dragon thin, and his young charge was getting to a point where he couldn't learn much more from his wisdom.<br>_

_"Natsu do you remember the story of the great dragon wars?" Igneel asked the pink haired boy before him. Natsu laughed lightly as he nodded his head.  
><em>

_"How could I forget something as exciting as that story Igneel." The great dragon sighed as he settled down in the shelter that was serving as their home while it continued to pour. _

_"There is a part that I left out, I lost a lot of friends and brothers in those wars. One of my best friends lost his mate, she sacrificed herself to put an end to the dark dragon's evil ways." Igneel looked out across the field a sad smile on his face. "There were many brave dragons that lost their lives in those battles, and we have been fighting to honor her sacrifice ever since. Natsu you must always remember that the lives of your comrades are the most important, you must remember that you have to protect them with your own hands. The stronger you become the better you can protect those you care about." Natsu leaned against the stomach of the great dragon watching the rain as well. For such a young boy he seemed to mull over the dragon's words very seriously.  
><em>

_"I am strong Igneel, I'm the son of a Dragon." Natsu smiled warmly as he closed his eyes. "You can count on me, I'm going to make you proud one day, just you watch me!" Natsu folded his arms behind his head satisfied in his response. _

_"Confidence is a wonderful tool son, it can push you further than you ever thought you could. Natsu just remember that you need to have to power to back those words up, or people will end up getting hurt." Igneel released a massive yawn stretching his tired limbs. _

_"You were the hero of the war, Igneel, and as your son it is my duty to uphold the honor of our family! I will do what ever I need to do so long as I reach my final goal." Natsu turned to look his grandfather in the face. Their dark eyes met and Natsu grinned as wide as possible._

_"Natsu, never lose that spirit of yours, I can tell that it'll get you out of a bunch of sticky situations." Igneel smiled before laying his head down to rest for the night._

_"It's a promise!" Natsu leaned back against Igneel with a contented grin.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Natsu jumped to the left, narrowly avoiding the blast of water that cut the tree behind him in half. Water was the most difficult to handle out of all the elements, he had to absorb the magic that actually laced the water, not the water itself. After the first ten minutes he had realized that the water was being manipulated rather that created by the dragon, and he had been taking his time to figure out how to separated the two so that he didn't drown himself in the process of consuming the water dragon's magic. He was angry with himself for taking this long with a fight, and hearing his grandfather's clear disappointment.<p>

Natsu was close to being finished his elemental training, and he would be damned if this was the last stop, not after all the work he had already put into this. Natsu was sure that if he didn't master this training fully that he would be leaving the others vulnerable, and that went against everything he believed in. He was going to be the one protecting his family no matter the cost. He had already survived so much, and he had come so far, there was no way he was going to let a little water douse his flames now. Not when he had master almost all of the other elements.

Lightning had come easiest next to Natsu's own fire, for no other reason than he was used to the feel. It had only taken him a week to fully get the hang of it, being his first element at true Dragon Force he felt slightly proud of his accomplishment. He had told himself that maybe he should thank Laxus later for the training in the mountains, because it had really helped him in the long run. The Earth dragon that Igneel had summoned hadn't been much of a challenge either, because his attacks were obvious. Natsu had easily been able to find his weaknessed and the plants he used were extremely fragile, and the consumption part was as easy as shoveling in a large garden salad into his mouth.

The wind dragon though he was an impressive size had not been much of a challenge, because Natsu was so used to Wendy's magic. The soft white feathery looking dragon had used a common breath attack that Natsu was very familiar with. He had finished with him in a matter of minutes verse the days and weeks he had spent with the others. The thought crossed his mind that the element of wind was not a battle oriented magic, he didn't feel like he could use to cause the damage that his flames or his newly acquired lightning would.

The only other one that had give him real problems had been the frost dragon. Natsu had been expecting some form of solid ice attacks that would be simple to just bite down on, like Gray's Ice Make magic. But what he received instead was snow and ice laced fog. It wasn't like fighting Gray at all, and that irritated the fire mage. Honestly Natsu still wasn't sure how he was able to defeat that particular dragon, all he knew was that he had some how managed to do it on pure instinct.

After several months Natsu was finally able to master each of the elements that Igneel set him up against. He was filled with confidence and pride, and there wasn't anything that was going to stand in his way now. The only road blocks left after this water dragon were spirit and iron, he was already pretty confident that he could take down the Iron dragon, but he knew absolutely nothing about the Celestial Dragons, he was looking forward to having an opponent that would keep him on his toes once more though.

Concentration was one thing that Natsu had learned through out the whole experience, and he found that it got easier to predict his opponent's moves the longer they fought. Natsu was no tactician, but when push came to shove he was brilliant in the heat of the moment. Suddenly it hit him, with a smile Natsu lit flames under his feet and launched himself in the air, he hope that this would work, he hadn't tried it yet, but he needed to do something and fast.

"Frost dragon's frozen river!" Natsu watched the water that the other dragon had been manipulating freeze over, inch by inch, until she was nothing bit a big dragon pop. Natsu could see the shine of blue magic glowing around the heavy mass before it fell to the ground. He inhaled the remainder of the magic and allowed his body to grow used to the new form of magic potential. He had structured his internal container to house each element separately, it took a lot of concentration, but he was able to house enough of each so that his body was becoming used to it. Natsu could feel his magical potential increase with every new element he consumed.

"That was amazing!" Natsu turned to see the owner of the feminine voice, and was pleased to see it was who he had thought, it might be.

"Yo, Lucy!" Natsu allowed his flames to sputter and die out, bringing him back down to the ground. Lucy ran over and wrapped her arms around her husband with a bright smile. "What are you doing here? I thought you needed to train." Natsu shift so that Lucy wasn't putting weight against his bruised ribs.

"You need a spirit dragon." Igneel answered calmly. "Draco is the only one of his breed left." Lucy's face fell for a moment. She had been told that story a while ago, but she didn't want it to get in the way of seeing her husband for the first time in so many months.

"I think they have earned some time off." Draco nudged Igneel in the side playfully. "I mean they are still young you know." Draco chuckled as Lucy squealed happily.

"I guess a few days couldn't hurt." Igneel conceded giving her a soft smile.

* * *

><p><em>"Igneel, Mama says you are going tell me something about that boy." A small girl with bright brown eyes bounded happily, her hands held tightly behind her back. She smiled up at the tall man with brilliant red hair, waiting for him to answer. <em>

_"Ah yes, I wanted to tell you that he has nearly completed his first track of magic training, he has also started martial arts training last week." Igneel came down to her level patting her head as he spoke. The small blonde pouted as her eyes glazed with tears. _

_"I would be almost finished if stupid Laxus didn't kept trying to make me look bad." The small blonde crossed her arms over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. "Plus isn't the dragon boy older than me? How am I supposed to catch up when he had a head start! It's not fair!" Lucy pursed her lips as she turned her gaze to the ground._

_"Lu it's time to work on swords!" A blonde boy hollers from the fenced off training area. _

_"Igneel will you come watch?" The small blonde beamed as she saw him nod that he would in fact be observing. Lucy ran toward her cousin with a bright smile. "What are the rules today, Laxus?" Lucy grabbed a sword that was nearly taller than she was, she had only just graduated from using the practice swords a over week before, and Lucy felt her excitement nearly bubble over. _

_"Well these are real swords so I don't think it would be good to do our normal first hit rule. At least not for your first few sparring rounds with the real thing." Laxus leaned against the weapons rack, scratching his head. _

_"I know how about we make a sumo ring!" Lucy squeaked as she ran her sword on the ground around their training ground. "The first to get pushed back out of the circle loses!" Igneel chuckled at the enthusiastic blonde who was so eager to fight._

_"Alright, but you aren't allowed to use those Spirit boxes to teleport me out of the circle." Laxus pointed an accusing finger in her direction. "That will be considered cheating and I will win by default if you do." Lucy frowned as she knew that it had been her plan from the beginning._

_ "But Master says to use everything we have to fight!" Lucy protested in a high pitched voice, stamping her foot angrily. _

_"Master also says that you need to learn to fight with out using your magic!" Laxus stuck his tongue out at his younger cousin. "Or are you going to give up training with me and Bastion now?" Lucy's hair nearly stood up on end. _

_"Never! I want to beat you fair and square any way!" Lucy grudgingly agreed to the terms of the match, and they shook hands. _

_"They are rather good. You're in for a show today Igneel." Makarov stated as he jumped up on a fence that outlined this portion of the property. Igneel looked over at the small mage with a wary smile._

_"She is a pip squeak, I can't see her lasting more than five minutes against Laxus." The sound of scraping metal brought their attention back to the dirt training ground. Lucy held her sword poised in the air, holding back the strike of her older cousin's blade. Slowly she took a few steps back, leading Laxus with her as he struck the sword down in a flurry of spark. _

_"She may be small but she has a fiery spirit that gives her amazing strength. And she is smart. If she inherits her mother's beauty I would say she'll be a major heart breaker when she is all grown." Makarov commented as he watched Lucy push her full weight against her weapon, she side stepped positioning her right foot and ankle around Laxus's left. she raised the hilt of her sword and brought it down on the small of his back pulling her entangled leg back forcing Laxus to fall forward on his face. Laxus landed with half his body across the drawn boundary line. _

_"She used herself as a diversion to get him close enough to the edge so that she could knock him out in a single blow." Igneel was rather impressed as he watched Lucy jump around happily waving her sword in the air._

_"I beat you, I beat you!" She chanted with a bright smile._

_"Lucky shot." Laxus grumbled as he rubbed the small of his back with pain and embarassment written across his face.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Lucy and Natsu took the time they were given to explore the area a little. After a while they found a lake that looked mostly deserted. They settled against a tree just content to be near the other for a short time.<p>

"How is your training going?" Natsu asked fighting back his heavy eyelids. Lucy sighed relaxing against the heat of her husbands body.

"Draco is tough, but I guess we are progressing well. I didn't expect him to have an actual house, you know with being a dragon and all, but it seems he prefers to stay in human form to handle his precious books. It's been nice to sleep in a real bed every night before getting into my lessons." Lucy giggled to herself. "I almost wish I could steal Levy so she could go through them with me. Draco said that he sent her a nice chunk of the collection though. I bet she is enjoying herself, or I hope she is at least." Lucy looked up at the cloudless sky. "It's kind of nice to be doing more intellectual studies and less physical training for once." Natsu didn't miss the slight sadness that ran across her face. "How about you, that move was amazing!" Natsu laughed as he remembered the move he had accomplished by sheer luck.

"I was having a hard time with the water so I made it into something I'm used to dealing with. The Frost dragon had powers that make Gray's ice look like child's play, but I guess have so much experience with his magic made it slightly easier to come up with my own moves. Maybe Gray is good for something after all." Natsu folded his arms behind his head before sprawling out on the lush grass. "I can't wait to see his face when I whip that attack out the next time we fight. I bet he'll be so shocked that he faints like a girl!" He grinned widely as he watched a flock of white birds fly over head. "It's been to long you know, I'm so ready to head home. Back to our place." Natsu closed his eyes taking in a deep breath, he truly wished that when they did go home that things would be calm for a short while at least.

"I bet I've still got months worth of work on my end. Even though I'm working hard every day it seems that Draco always comes up with something else I can improve on." Lucy laid next to him on the grass using her bag as a pillow. "Can you believe we've been here for almost a year already?" She looked at his peaceful sleeping face out of the corner of her eye with a small smile. "I bet you've been working yourself into the ground like usual. You deserve to rest things are going to get rough again soon." She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek before drifting off herself.

* * *

><p><em>"Igneel why are you here?" Lucy's eyes filled with tears, knowing full well what his answer would be. <em>

_"Your Master has been attacked, they are looking for information, we need to get you somewhere safe." Igneel said with a serious expression._

_"I'm not ready to leave, I don't have my power under control yet! I nearly killed someone Igneel!" The blonde cried out desperately.  
><em>

_"I know Lucy, we are going to handle that soon. Right now what we need to worry about is making sure you and Natsu can progress without the threat of assassins." The small blonde looked into his pitch black emotionless eyes, as if pleading for his to just keep her with him. Igneel knew that nothing he could say would call her now, as nothing had calmed Natsu before he had left. "It's almost time Lucy, your mother is going to seal away your powers so you can't hurt anyone, the seal will be broken when you are ready to use them again." Igneel patted the young girl on the head lightly, offering what little comfort he could. _

_"What about Natsu? Where is Natsu?" Lucy was becoming frantic as she imagined the boy she had slowly fallen for being left alone out in the wilderness, were they going to seal his powers too? How could they do this to them? _

_"He won't remember anything about you, I've already sealed his memories. He won't know how to use anything having to do with his dragon half and everything having to do with your family will was completely suppressed. You won't remember anything about him either, nor who you are right now. It's better this way, the fates will lead you to each other when the time is right." Lucy wrapped her small arms around the dragon's leg, shaking in frustration and sheer terror of the unknown. _

_"I don't want to forget!" She whined, tears streaming freely down her face._

_"To be safe, you must forget. You won't be Lucy Dreyer anymore, child, and it will be best to lock that Lucy away inside of you till the time comes where she can return to this world." Lucy didn't understand what he meant, but it didn't make much difference to her. Lucy's mother was fading fast, and there was nothing that little Lucy could do to save her. Laxus and Grampa were still there, but they would both be leaving soon. She would be alone, with out even the stories of Natsu to keep her sane, she would be deprived of her pleasant daydreams, along with her terrible nightmares. _

_"Lucy we will all be together again one day there is no reason to be sad." Makarov cooed from the chair beside his daughter's bed. "Natsu will be at Fairy Tail with Laxus and me. I will look after him until you find your way there." Lucy ran at her grandfather with eyes shining._

_"Grampa I don't want to leave you! I don't want to forget! I'll be a good girl I swear, please just take me with you!" Lucy was silenced by a bright golden light. She collapsed on the floor breathing heavily. If a heart breaking could be heard, the sound in the room would have been deafening, as they watched Lucy's tears run freely as she doubled over in pain. _

_"Stay strong, Lucy. Follow your heart. Remember to never apologize for who you are and be proud of the life you live." Layla sat up a little higher and placed the magic on her daughter again, a total of twelve times. "Igneel, I don't have enough magic left to make the last seal." Layla coughed, bright red blood dripping from her paling lips. "Take care of them." She whispered leaning back and closing her eyes. The room fell silent as Igneel placed his hand on the young girls forehead, sealing away anything that Layla had missed. _

_"I will take her to Judo." Makarov said sadly looking at his family, Laxus came over and picked little Lucy up in his arms. _

_"Gramps, do we really have to leave her with that creep? We don't even know if he'll let her go!" Laxus kept his eyes fixed on Lucy's face. _

_"To keep her safe that is what needs to be done. Lucy will still be Lucy, and her heart will find it's way back to us." Makarov answered sadly keeping the tears that filled his own eyes out of view from the others in the room. _

_"I've taken care of Natsu before I came here. I left him in the East forest of Magnolia he should be waking up soon, and he will have realized that I'm gone." Igneel walked over to the bed and gently brushed Layla's hair out of her face. "She doesn't have long left, you should get going."_

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><p>"Natsu." Lucy poked him in the ribs, after the fourth time she called his name. It was hard to tell time in a place like this, but she knew that they had been gone for more than two days already. The idea of heading back wasn't the most pleasant, she wanted to spend more time like this. Just the two of them peacefully enjoying each other. Two nights of being able to hold one another was only acting as a bandage for what she really needed.<p>

"Urgh" Natsu rolled to the other side, trying to ignore the poke that set his still bruised ribs on fire.

"Come on I wanna talk before we have to head back." Natsu stretched with a low growl, looking at the sad expression on her face.

"Has it been that long already?" Lucy nodded her head in reply. Natsu pushed himself up on his elbows letting out a long yawn. "What did you wanna talk about?" He turned to see her cheeks flush bright red. Natsu was momentarily confused, Lucy hadn't been embarrassed about much of anything since they had gotten married, so this was a tad bit strange. He let her take her time as he watched her expressions change for embarrassed to fearful then finally to determined.

"Well, Levy and I had been talking a while back, you know about the both of us getting married so close together." Lucy trailed off.

"And?" Natsu brushed his hand through his wild hair nervously.

"Well, um we were thinking, well wouldn't it be nice if we all had kids around the same time?" Lucy asked in a low voice, covering her face with her hands. Natsu stared at her blankly for a few moments processing what she was trying to say.

"RIGHT NOW?" Natsu fell backward once the message came through, his nervous system was sent into over drive as he saw her peek out from behind her hands. Her face was bright red, her eyes wide with slight shock.

"Not right this minute! We still have so much fighting to do. I was just thinking that maybe the idea of it being a possibility might help us get through this a little easier. You know the idea of starting our own little family. Maybe being normal for once and not having to deal with the whole worlds fate resting in our laps. I wanna at least think that maybe when this is all over you want to do that." It was Natsu's turn to blush, and he searched his mind for a response to her proposition.

"You really are a Weirdo Lucy." He sighed, which cause her to glare at him intensely. "If that is what you want than I don't see why not, so long as we aren't putting you in danger I have no argument. When this is all over we can get a real house and what not, for little ones." He looked away for a moment. "Do you think you could handle a baby and taking on all of the master's duties at the same time?" Lucy laughed at his question, she had honestly been trying not to think about taking over for her grand father, at least not yet.

"I had an idea about that, I'm going to talk to Laxus and Grampa about it when we head home." She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. "We need to head back soon, Draco doesn't like to be kept waiting. It makes him severely grumpy." Natsu kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I think he can wait a little longer." Lucy giggled as Natsu pushed her down on her back, trailing hot kisses along her skin.

"I guess it can't be helped." Lucy said breathlessly.

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><p><strong>AN:: SOOOO I tried something a little different with this chapter... What do you think? Did was the flow ok? . I wanted to give a little insight into the relationships they all had before the two were sealed. WELL, I hope you liked it! we are getting close to everyone coming back together!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:: Hey guys, I've noticed lately that interest in this fic has been dwindling... it made me sad for a little while, but I got over it by simultaneously starting two more fics. I will still take this one to the bitter end, because like I've said before I'm writing it mostly for myself, and I love the way I've made these characters grow. Plus fight scenes are just to much fun, and I love writing them as much a I like fluff. But I can tell you this, It's not bad for the first multi book fic I've written. especially since the original was a one shot that I wrote in my note book and just decided to go crazy with it. Any way. I'm not really even half way through this, but I've decided to only update it once a week to give myself time to write the other two.  
><strong>

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><p>Chapter 8: Our Strength<p>

"Can you repeat that please, I think that there may have been something in my ear." Natsu smacked the side of his head trying to force the none existent substance out.

"You heard me just fine the first time Master Natsu." Draco smiled brightly as he pointed to a stack of books. "I do not subject myself to trivial things such as fighting, so to acquire my powers you must pass a written exam." Natsu groaned loudly as he surveyed the titles of the massive volumes that had been placed in his personal space. He would rather face a vicious pack over grown wild animals who had fire resistant scales than read that many books, and be tested on them. Natsu was an action oriented person, and he knew that he would most likely never venture into the category of book smarts, not so long as he had an image to up hold at least. (Happy-go-lucky idiot)

"Can't I just take the test and be over with this? Is reading all this first really necessary?" Draco rolled his eyes as he watched Natsu let his pink haired head fall against the table with a loud thud.

"Natsu, you can't pass a test if you don't know the material." Lucy said with a slight scowl. "Besides I'm here to help!" Her scowl turned into a bright smile so fast it was nearly like the scowl had been in Natsu's imagination, as she set another stack of books on the table in front of her husband.

"You're kidding me, right?" Natsu's mouth hung open as he observed just how many volumes he would have to go through.

"I'll leave you to it then." Draco walked towards the door. "Lucy, dear don't forget that you have your _own_ studies. Don't spend all your time helping with Master Natsu's or you will fall behind." Lucy nodded with a bright smile.

Natsu felt like he wanted to run away screaming as Lucy handed him the first large book. He had originally been happy to find out that they were taking their training up to Draco's home. It was a relief to sleep in a real bed after spending so much time out doors on the cold hard ground. His relief had been short lived though when they were summoned to the library for their training. Natsu could feel how amused the whole situation was making his book worm of a wife. He hated being confined like this, no matter the amount of time. Natsu's body was aching to destroy something just to relieve the feeling of being an animal trapped in a fairly large cage that smelled of musty old parchment and the stale metallic ink, it made him sick to his stomach. The only thing keeping him from demolishing the whole place at that point was the simple fact that Lucy would never forgive him for destroying such priceless books. _'Oh the things I put myself through for you.'_ Natsu thought bitterly,

Happy watched the exchange between his closest friends with a peaceful smile. It was nice to have some of the family back together again, even if it was only a portion of them. The feelings of impending doom that had been knotting his stomach for so long now loosened just a bit as he watched Lucy smack Natsu with a heavy looking leather bound book. The exceed giggled to himself as he watched Natsu whine at her for being mean to him, but Lucy only responded by scolding him about being a child.

Natsu was far from it, and Happy had watched as his dear friend had finally come to embrace that reality. It seemed like the seal that had been released held more than just memories and magic power back, it was almost as though a portion of Natsu's personality had completely changed. Happy had seen it from the very first battle that Igneel had force on Natsu during the training. He was deadlier in a primal way that had Happy actually fearing for his own safety, but Natsu never lost his head. Even when Happy was sure that Igneel's baiting calls of Natsu's short comings would push his friend over the edge the way it had so many times before. Natsu seemed to have gained control of those once unbridled emotions and powers, using them more wisely, and with near deadly precision.

The sheer amount of understanding and placid expressions during battle had been enough for Happy to make his own decision. His skills were limited when it came to actual fighting, Happy had often found himself being the brains behind Natsu's brawnm, but that role was no longer necessary. Now Happy found that his position in a fight would have to change as well, as his outward demeanor had over the course of events that had happened in such a short period of time. Every one in the family was working hard to push themselves to new heights, and Happy wasn't ready to allow himself to fall behind any further. In the months that Natsu had been busy with his masters, Happy had vowed to train himself to the extremes as well.

Igneel had been slightly shocked by the request from the small fragile looking animal, but after a serious conversation it was agreed that some course of action was in the best interest of every party involved.

"Edolas is something completely foreign to me. So I'm afraid that I don't have any information to help you train Happy." Igneel's mouth turned down in a harsh frown, but the small blue mage wasn't ready to give up.

"Is there anyone who could at least try to help me?" Happy stood as tall as he could make himself, filled with as much pride as any other mage of Fairy Tail. Though he had his chest puffed out proudly, Happy was surely not above groveling at the foot of a much greater creature if it meant he could gain some form of experience that could lead to his ability to help the others fight for their home. Igneel had nothing for him though, other than a suggested place to train in peace.

Happy had been sent off in search of his own awakening, since there had been no one who could help him. It didn't take long to find the area that Igneel had described, and he found that it was as comfortable as he was ever going to be while he was out here alone. Happy had watched Lucy and Natsu train with the others in the art of increasing their magical potential, he had always been right beside the two of them, and now it was his turn to train, he vowed to remain there no matter how long it took to make himself strong enough to make a difference this time. His pride rested on this, especially after everything they had all been through together. Some where deep inside he thought that Charle and Lily were thinking along the same lines, maybe they too were struggling with the idea of being the weak ones in the group, even though no one would ever saw that out loud. He refused to be a burden if he could make himself useful.

The weeks ticked by, and Natsu spent most of his time in Draco's library agonizing over the mountain of books that he had been given to study. It had been a great surprise when Gajeel had been brought to join them. Happy and Lily had taken the opportunity to disappear, going over the training they had done on their own.

"I'm glad to see you." Lucy was slightly shocked when Natsu held out his fist to Gajeel with a knowing smiling on his face. Gajeel observed Natsu for a short moment, before lifting his own fist to meet Natsu in a mutual understanding of what had happened.

"So I'm the first back?" Gajeel pulled up a chair to the table where Natsu was down to the last three book in his 'collection' of study materials.

"Aye" Natsu answered simply as he turned his attention back to the book. Gajeel turned his gaze toward the expansive wall of stained glass windows. The images of the ancient dragons in the glory of battle shined down at him. As a young child he, and he suspected Wendy and Natsu had all been told of the great dragon wars, it was a bed time story that Metalicana had often graced him with. The idea of fighting along side close comrades had always been a secret dream nurtured by those tales in Gajeel's youth. He never spoke of them aloud knowing that his foster father would view that as a weakness, and he would undoubtedly receive a harsh punishment for showing any sign of softness. As he thought back to joining Fairy Tail the realization that his childish dream was actually going to come true was some what over whelming.

"I beat him" Gajeel's voice ripped through the silent room, after around a half hour of the only sound bring the turning of pages.

"I knew you could." Natsu said without looking up.

"I killed him." Gajeel's eyes never left the image of the grand iron dragon that was one of the great ancient dragon's, a hero of the war that had taken over the whole world. It held it's head high with pride as it ripped at its enemy with it's razor sharp fangs and claws, red eyes burning with what Gajeel knew was the intent to kill his opponents.

"I know." Natsu closed the book and looked over at Gajeel with compassion. "How are you handling it?" Gajeel knew that acting tough around these two was absolutely ridiculous, because there was no lying when they could see your heart.

"I'm handling it the best I can." He leaned forward looking at his gloved hands for a long moment. "It was my only choice, Metalicana was ready to take my life if I couldn't take his. He nearly did, I was on the brink of death so many times, but I got so sick of running, and hiding. I didn't want to do it, I couldn't stand the monster he wanted to turn me into, not now that I have something to actually live for, but what else could I have done? I didn't want to die now that I have a real family." Gajeel pressed his fingers to the small mark on his chest allowing a faint smile to cross his lips.

"You did what was necessary, remember I told you that no one will judge you for what you had to do." Natsu punched Gajeel in the shoulder affectionately. "It is the way of the Iron Dragon to pass on their life to the next generation with a death match. It was a right of passage for you, no matter how brutal it may have been I'm sure your father died with pride." Gajeel listened as the self loathing he had been feeling melted away.

"Natsu is right." They turned to see Igneel standing in the door way. "And since you completed your right of passage, you will be Natsu's final tutor, because you are the only one left who used the Iron element." The room stayed silent as the information processed.

"You and I are both the last in our blood lines it seems." Draco ghosted over, giving Gajeel a sad but comforting smile. "Even though you are not a half breed like Natsu, you are still of a proud lineage, and you must up hold the honor of your family. This is the way things have been done for countless centuries. I'm rather jealous of Metallicana and Igneel honestly, because they have offspring to pass their legacies onto." Lucy was across the space before any of them could blink, wrapping her arms around the tall dragon.

"We are all family now." She gave him a watery smile as he unwillingly submitted to her outburst, wrapping his arms around her back.

"I suppose you are right." He said in a much softer voice.

"There is no need to feel lonely anymore." She gave him a devastating smile, that would have melted any man, dragon's were no exception. Igneel found himself smiling at a memory of a conversation with his old friend Makarov.

"Your grand father was right about you." He said teasingly. Lucy released her hold and made her way over to Natsu's grand father with a questioning glare. She placed her balled fists on either side of her hips.

"Grampa was right about what?" Her grandfather had always been known as a wise man, but the way Igneel was so amused she was nearly certain that it didn't have anything to do with her abilities.

"He predicted that if you got your mother's looks that you'd become a massive heart breaker. Shame on you for toying with an old dragon's heart strings like that." Lucy's cheeks turned crimson as she sputtered trying to respond with some form of coherency.

"I didn't mean it like** THAT** Igneel!" She huffed. Natsu and Gajeel couldn't help but laugh at the interaction between the two, as if they were old friends. After arguing for a long time with her elder about how completely off base he was Lucy sank back into her seat with an exasperated huff. "Oi, Natsu give me my crystal key please?" She turned to her husband and watched as he pulled out the chain from his shirt that held her key.

Lucy took the key in hand and walked over to the massive wooden doors she held out the key muttering to herself as she traced the lines which glowed with a bright golden light. When she had finished the out line she pushed forward. With in a few seconds the room was filled with with loud high pitched squeals and Lucy found herself on the ground being hugged to death by half of her personal guard.

"LUCY-NEE!" Lupus cried her thick black tail whipping wildly behind her. "We've missed you so much!" Lucy sat up rubbing the back of her head with a pained smile.

"I've missed you all too." She watched Loke make his way over to Natsu and Gajeel so he could catch up on the events that had they had missed over the time that had passed. The rift between these two worlds seemed to have a different time shift, and they had been gone for more than six months for the celestial beings.

"I've been going crazy worrying about you!" Vulpi cried out, his bright blue eyes filling with dramatic tears. Lucy couldn't help but giggle as she playfully messed up his shaggy blonde locks.

"Who's up for a sparring match?" Lucy asked the whole group. They all turned to her with curiosity. "What, I've been couped up studying for weeks, if I don't get some practice in I'll get rusty again." Natsu was the first to rush over excited to get out of his personal hell that was known to everyone else as a library. "I'm going to need my swords." Lucy looked at Vulpi who cringed slightly. "I swear I will never let myself get that far out of control again." She whispered calming her friend's deep rooted fear of her weapons.

"Swords?" Gajeel asked slightly confused.

"Oh, I didn't tell you all that I can duel wield did I?" She asked with an impish grin on her face.

"I think I'll join you." They all turned to see a tall blonde leaning against the door frame.

"LAXUS!" Lucy shrieked happily running over and throwing herself at her cousin. "I wasn't expecting you to get back just yet!" She admitted looking him over with a critical eye.

"What so now you're the only person who can do intensive training like it's nothing? I have been gone a whole _YEAR_ you know." Laxus scowled at his cousin who only gave him a bight smile in return. She turned to the tall golden god like dragon with a pout and big round puppy eyes.

"Can I have a break PLEASE?" The two dragons laughed at the sight, and Draco agreed. It didn't take long for Vulpi to return with Lucy's twin swords, and once he had, they all made their way out into Draco's garden court yard. Natsu stretched himself out on the grass as Lucy and Laxus decided the terms of their match.

"How do you want to do this?" Lucy asked as she attached the sheaths of her swords to the special attachments on either side of her belt.

"Lu, do you remember the first time we fought with real swords?" Laxus' face was stoney and unreadable as he looked his cousin over.

"I see you've learned to block me, and yes I remember how I beat you." Lucy smiled. The others watched the exchange with growing anticipation.

"Do you want to see if you can still take me out with out using any magic?" Laxus was baiting her, knowing that she had the Dreyer streak of pride that she would defend until the death. Lucy growled at the implications.

"Same rules?" She asked coldly.

"I have one exception, you can infuse magic into your weapon, because I have a new toy myself." Lucy raised an eyebrow to her cousin.

"Are you aware of my swords' power dear cousin?" _'two can play this game'_ she rested her hands on the hilt of each sword, ready for any move that Laxus might make.

"It can cut though anything, I am well aware, Lu." The condescending smirk on her cousin's face made her want to kick him in the groin, just to bring his thick head back down to earth. "But dear cousin, I'm stronger than the last time we fought. You see I'm like the others now." Natsu and Gajeel exchanged an amused grunt as they listened.

"Boundaries?" Lucy prompted, Laxus smiled as he materialized a tall staff and ran it along the ground.

"Same as that first time, lets see if you'll get Lucky now." Igneel smiled to himself, he had always wondered how a rematch would turn out when the two had reached their potential.

"Fine by me, is that is your weapon of choice then?" Lucy nodded to his lightning staff. Laxus merely nodded as he took his stance in the center of the circle.

"First out loses, and no dirty tricks like your stupid spirit boxes, and if anyone interferes we will call it a drawl automatically." Lucy nodded as she took her mark, unsheathing both swords. The ring was fairly larger than she had expected, but in all honestly that would most likely work in her favor. They faced each

Without warning Laxus struck out with his staff colliding with Lucy's crossed blades. She pushed him back with measured force so she wouldn't tire herself to quickly. Laxus twisted his staff in a circular pattern striking from every angle as he pushed Lucy back towards the edged of their boundary. She met every strike with a well placed block only backing up a few paces each time. The dangerously serious air around the two blondes was nearly suffocating. No one had ever seen a battle this intense between the cousins, it bordered on a true intent to pound the other into the ground. With each new strike it seemed that Lucy was more and more on the defensive side of the battle, allowing Laxus to control the flow of battle.

Laxus finally found an opening which was close enough to the boundary that he could knock her out with one more blow. Laxus made a wide sweeping motion he brought the staff low to the ground trying to knock his cousin off balance, but Lucy jumped out of the line of fire, twisting in mid air as she landed behind his cousin. Lucy kept her swords at her sides ready for his next movement, eyes narrowed dangerously as she listened for any signs of her cousin's next move.

"It's a shame we aren't using the first blood rule, because I would have already won." She taunted, Laxus felt the hot wet blood drip down his cheek. '_When did she get that close?'_ Laxus turned just in time to catch her right blade with his staff, and dodged her left by barely an inch, a sharp pain ripped through his right shoulder as blood cascaded down to his finger tips.

"That is impossible, I dodged that!" Laxus blurted out with wide eyes. Lucy took advantage of his momentary loss of concentration and kicked him square in the gut. Laxus flew back a few feet landing half way across the line he had drawn, his face scrunched up in embarrassment as well as pain. Lucy sheathed her swords, sticking her tongue out at her cousin in triumph.

"Looks like I'm still Lucky." She teased playfully.

"Somethings never change." Igneel surprised the others with a deep throaty laugh. "I was expecting you to bruise his ego more by using the same move as last time, but this seems to have work rather well." Igneel walked over and patted Lucy on the head affectionately.

"He would have seen through that to easily, and with his recently required ability to block out my reading it was actually a little difficult to figure out how to handle him improved speed and upper body strength. Plus, beating my dear cousin bruises his ego enough to satisfy me." Lucy smirked with evil intents, which made the others gulp in fear.

"Did I miss something?" Gajeel was lost as to why Natsu's grandfather was treating Lucy as though she were the one he had raised.

"Igneel has been friends with my family for several generations." Lucy explained. "You know its' funny when I think about it, Igneel actually got to hold me before my father or even Grampa did." Lucy smiled brightly with pride.

"You were a noise little runt then too." Igneel said playfully.

"And your still mean, but at least this time I've finally managed to catch up to Natsu a little." Lucy beamed with pride, as she looked over at her husband.

"You're such a brat Lu. I want a full out rematch!" Laxus demanded, Lucy snickered as she hide behind Igneel, peeking out only to stick her tongue out once more.

"Lucy you and Laxus should head out to a more open area if you're going to fight with magic." Draco said running his long delicate fingers through his hair. Lucy giggled nervously.

"Uh, yeah. I don't want to destroy your house any more than I already did." The dragon slayers smirked in Lucy direction. "You guys up for a little hike?" She was instantly surrounded by her spirits who were more than happy to accompany her. Laxus on the other hand was going over the battle frame by frame in his mind trying to figure out exactly how she was able to cut him, and twice at that.

"I know I dodged that strike." Laxus ran his hands through his hair, as he followed after the gang.

"Are you going to go watch them?" Draco asked Igneel with amusement in his tone.

"No, it's time for them to test the strengths and weaknesses of their own family. I'm going to sit this one out." Igneel turned back towards the house and vanished inside.

"Those kids are more powerful than even you imagined." Draco whispered to the wind.

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><p><strong>Lucy kicked Laxus's butt even after he got his power up! Major dent to his pride! lol <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9: The Thunder god vs. The Celestial Queen**_

The air sparked with excitement as the two blondes circled one another. Neither seemed keen to make the first strike as they moved in silence. Lucy kept her hands poised around the hilts of her blades, but didn't dare to draw her weapon first. Not being able to hear Laxus's mind was proving to make this a much more intense battle, even though they had yet to cross weapons. "You are taking me more seriously this time it seems." Laxus swirled his staff in the air playfully.

"The moment you underestimate your opponent it the instant you lose, that is what you taught me right cousin?" Lucy kept her breathing as even as possible, opening her mind to receive the information from around her. Laxus may have blocked her from his thoughts and feelings, but the others hadn't, which gave Lucy a nice view of every angle she needed to predict his movements. The air around them practically shook as Laxus took the first strike bringing his staff down swiftly in hopes of catching his cousin off guard.

"Yes, and I see that it is a lesson that you have taken to heart." Lucy crossed her blades as she caught his staff the same as she had in their previous match. A bright flash enveloped the two, momentarily blinding the on lookers. A shrill scream pierced the air as Lucy jumped back, her body trembling. Laxus felt satisfaction at his ability to land a solid attack on his perfect cousin. "I have been working hard on finding ways around your defenses Lu." He continued as he swung the staff towards her exposed ribs, a look of pure excitement lighting his face. Lucy recovered just in time to roll out of Laxus's range, she used her swords to support her weight as she pushed herself back up onto her knee. Her breathing was still raged and uneven from the shock of his last attack.

"I see now." Lucy slide her swords back into their sheaths as she picked herself back up to stand at her full height. "Vulpecula:Fusion" Lucy's body flared with a bright orange flame as she absorbed the powers of the fox spirit. Little orange ears sprouted from her braided golden locks and a bushy tail swished from under her long black coat. When the transformation completed, Lucy channeled the flames to condense them into two flaming swords that were nearly replicas of her original katanas.

"Figured it out that quickly, huh?" Laxus laughed as he pulled his own weapon apart into two swords, slashing them through the air dangerously.

"Allowing you to use the metal of my blades to electrocute me was a mistake on my part, but I won't slip up again." Lucy ran at full speed slashing out with so much force that she knocked Laxus back several steps when their blades collided. They began trading a flurry of slashing attacks that sent sparks of yellow and orange flying around them. The others watched as the battle dragged on, Lucy and Laxus never seemed to tire as they traded blows back and fourth.

"Are you ready to step it up, Lu?" Laxus taunted as his body started to admit sparks of electricity, he took a few steps in her direction weapons poised and ready to attack once more.

"Show me what you've got Laxus." Lucy smirked as she took a fighting stance, body glowing with her bright orange flame laced golden light.

Their weapons clashed once more, sending a shock wave across the field. The speed of their strikes were growing quicker, and to a normal person it would have been nearly to fast to keep up with who was controlling the battle, let alone where the two opponents actually were. Natsu could see that Laxus was keeping his distance from the flaming blades as he threw Lucy back several times. No doubt be knew that her flames were nearly as potent and damaging as the Salamander's himself.

"Um I think we should move back." Natsu suddenly broke the silence of the group as a nasty feeling of wariness bubbled up in his stomach. Surely being that close to these two could spell some nasty injuries for the group of on lookers. Loke immediately nodded in agreement picking himself up off the ground in a way that didn't show how concerned he was for his master's safety or his own. Gajeel grumbled under his breath but agreed that it might be a good idea, since both Lucy and Laxus were taking this fight more seriously than the previous ones. The three made their way further out into the clearing, talking about simple meaningless things till they found a spot where their view of the fight was reduced to the sparks that flew through the air.

Lupus and Lynx followed shortly after, once Lynx was able to get a good grip on his fellow spirit.

"We should give Lucy-nee some space, she will call us if she needs use, Lupus!" Lynx scolded as he dragged the short dark haired wolf spirit along with him.

"Well I guess while we are waiting for those two to duke it out, we could start talking about absorbing your magic, Gajeel." Natsu said in a lazy tone. "I mean you and Draco are my last two, so might as well get it over with right?" Gajeel raised an eyebrow observing Natsu like he was some form of fungus that needed to be removed.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Loke interrupted.

"Beats me. With every other dragon its just been battle and absorb, but Gajeel is human, so I guess it won't be as easy to extract, but since I'm half human I don't think it will be THAT difficult." Natsu placed himself at the base of a tree. "And I don't really feel like fighting, since I've been locked up in a library for so long, I just want to take a while and do absolutely nothing."

"Lazy." Lupus mumbled under her breath.

Natsu looked in her direction which caused the small spirit to blush in the embarrassment that she had been overheard. No one spoke for a while, as the battle on the other side of the field heated up. Trees and boulders were flying through the air as the sparks grew brighter, the time between strikes was becoming none existent. It was really turning into a battle of titans.

"So does this mean you'll be able to use any magic you want after this?" Loke adjusted his glasses before looking over at the lazy fire mage who was sprawled out, half asleep on the grass near a tall oak tree.

"I guess so, I have control of the major dragon elements, nothing like what Mira or Levy uses though. So I still have limitations." Natsu yawned as he listened to the battle rage on at the other end of the clearing.

"SO you and Lucy will be able to use similar attacks then?" Loke fiddled with his tie, but Natsu suddenly sat up looking at Gajeel with wide eyes.

"Oi Gajeel can you materialize your magic without making it into iron?" The tall dark hair mage took a few moments to think about it to himself. His training with the Earth Dragon had given him some control of his pure magic, so it may have been possible. He held out his hand and closed his eyes concentrating on bring his magic to the surface of his palm. After a few minutes a brilliant green light glowed around Gajeel. "Yeah, that's perfect." Natsu inhaled, taking just enough of Gajeel's magic to fill the small container that was reserved for the element iron.

"COOL" Lynx and Lupus cooed at the same time.

"That didn't look hard at all, Natsu you're such a drama queen." Loke sighed.

"Only one element left." Natsu said with a bright smile, ignoring Loke's comment completely. Lynx and Lupus looked at each other snickering about how the defective lion was being ignore, which caused Loke to chase the two around the group for a few minutes.

"Then we can head home, right?" Gajeel asked with a sly smile.

"Yep, once Levy and Wendy get back I full intend to head home." Natsu replied. "By the way our wives have been plotting against us again." Gajeel grunted in response, not sure whether he wanted to know what Natsu meant.

"So did you learn any new tricks?" Loke asked with an eyebrow raised, once he got tired of chasing the smaller spirits.

"Some." Gajeel shrugged as he slide down a near by tree.

"Well you're just as articulate as ever." Loke pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose with dissatisfaction.

* * *

><p>Lucy fell to one knee breathing hard with one arm wrapped around her ribs. "Damn it, I never thought you could use your magic like that!" She huffed in a rasping voice.<p>

"Glad to hear that you are impressed." Laxus smirked, through his own labored breaths.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep going like this." Lucy laughed at her own admission of defeat.

"Come on Lu. You still have some fight left in you!" Laxus put his swords back together letting the axe head form for his modified Heaven's Halberd.

"Now you asked for it!" Lucy smiled pushing herself back into a standing position. "Release." Her weapons died away as she gave her cousin a wide smile. Her body seemed to glow with a dense gold light, her hair whipping in the air currents that surrounded her. "Corona: Fusion" Suddenly Lucy's body crumpled to the ground as a golden spirit stood in her place.

"So this is one of your more powerful fusions?" Laxus raised an eyebrow, as she pulled her swords off her discarded body. Vulpi materialized dragging her vessel to safety before the battle started yet again.

"Lets finish this!" Laxus couldn't believe his eyes when the next second her right sword was biting into his throat.

"What the hell?" He couldn't move for fear that her blades would bite deeper into the exposed flesh of his muscular neck which would spell disaster for him.

"It's over." Lucy's calm voice whispered into her cousin's ear.

* * *

><p>"Looks like they're done finally." Natsu broke through the arguing.<p>

"Who won?" Gajeel asked with his usual bored tone.

"Dunno, they both look pretty bad." Natsu answered as the two limped over to join the group. Vulpi was holding Lucy up as she held onto her sore ribs.

"That was the best fight EVER!" Vulpi exclaimed as he set Lucy down next to the other spirits. "Man you guys should have seen Laxus's face when Lucy used her secret move to corner him!"

"Would you can it stupid fox." Laxus huffed crossing his arms over his chest.

"You did way more damage to me than I did to you. So don't be like that." Lucy tried to smile but found that the side of her face was starting to swell from where Laxus had connected a powerful blow.

"It doesn't matter how much damage I did, I still fucking LOST!" Laxus shouted in frustration.

"Dude, you lost to the most powerful spirit in the Celestial realm, you should be proud of how many rounds you were able to go before she had to resort to one of her most extreme tactics." Vulpi supplied. "Honestly I thought she was saving that for the battle with the evil guy, what was his name again?" Lucy smacked the back of the fox spirit's head with more force than was necessary.

"Shut it! It's one of my reserve move, but it is by no means my most powerful." Lucy laid back in the grass, slowly healing her wounds. "And I hope I don't ever have to use **her**, no matter who I'm fighting against. The risks is just to high." Lucy sighed before going silent.

Her companions wanted to ask what she meant, but found that she was already passed out.

"Wow, I haven't seen her this exhausted from a fight in a long time." Natsu sighed as he looked over at Laxus.

"I almost had her this time, damn it." Laxus grunted. "Then I had to be stupid and provoke her into stepping up her game. That spirit form increases her offense so much that I could barely see her move. It was crazy."

"That's not the only thing it does, Corona Fusion actually makes her a spirit that can affect the physical world, but nothing can affect her. The only way to beat her in that state is to damage her vessel. It isn't practical in battle at all, but it's still awesome!" Vulpi explain as he moved to check her wounds.

"It's not fair you know, every time I find a way to beat her, she throws a new move at me." Laxus ran his hands through his slightly shaggy blonde locks before throwing himself backward on the soft grass.

"But that's good for the both of you, it helps you grow and move forward." Natsu's comment was met with a burst of laughter from the group, as they looked at Natsu's serious expression.

"Natsu the sage!" Loke sang out through his laughter.

"Hey! I can act like an adult sometimes you know. And it would be good for you all to remember that I am a PRINCE here! Treat me with some respect." The comment only caused the others to laugh even harder.

"I-I am s-s-sorry my **Lord**, pl-pl-please forgive m-me!" Loke stammered out as he held his sides.

"Just wait, when I get the last element I'll be stronger than all of you put together... well so long as you don't add Lucy." Natsu rubbed the back of his neck as the others continued to heckle him about his previous comments.

* * *

><p>"Alright, I suppose that will satisfy me." Draco held out his arms, allowing his magic to pool in the palms of his hands.<p>

"Really th-that was it?" Natsu asked rather confused. "I've wasted more than half a year of my life for, THAT?"

"Do you want the magic or not Master Natsu?" Draco lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in Natsu's direction.

Natsu regained his composure quickly and inhaled the soft golden light, allowing it to fill his last container. Suddenly a foreign feeling twisted Natsu's insides. It was like nothing he had ever felt before, wait that wasn't true, it was like the time he had eaten the Lycrima on the tower of heaven. Pain ripped through his body as Natsu tried to rein in the powers.

"Lucy dear would you be so kind" Draco turned to Lucy with a sad smile. "I prefer my home in one piece" It only took a moment to recognize what was going on, and she set up a spirit barrier around Natsu before his body had the chance to explode into flames.

"So this is what you have been up to?" A small voice called from the door way.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy called as she kept a watchful eye on her husband.

"Hey Lu-chan, it's been a while." Levy made her way across the library and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Is any one else back yet?" Lucy smiled.

"Everyone except for Wendy now." Lucy answered with a nod.

"I'm glad to see you're doing better." Levy returned a bright smile of her own.

"Gajeel is out in the garden overseeing Happy and Lily's training, you should go see him!" Lucy pointed to the door the lead out to the back garden, pleased that her family was finally going to be together once more.

"No, I don't want to disturb their studies. Would you like a hand with the barrier?" Levy turned back to look at Natsu who was on his knees, his howls of pain were increasing in volume, though they couldn't hear them through the barrier.

"It's almost over." Lucy sighed.

"So have the dreams still been coming?" Levy hoped that the progress everyone had made was enough to change their predestined path to the point that the meeting would be completely out of the question.

"Yes, but they have been changing recently, if only by a little bit." Lucy really didn't want to talk about the events of her night time jumps into the future.

"Do we still die?" Levy asked in a small voice.

"I can't answer that for you." Lucy said in the calmest voice she could. "But I'm certain that what we are accomplishing here is going to be the deciding factor in the war." Lucy released the box from around Natsu as he crumpled to the floor clutching his stomach, his eyes still squeezed tightly shut against the discomfort. "Master Draco, I'm going to take him off to rest, I'll be back in a few hours to continue my lessons." Lucy wrapped her husband's arm around her shoulders as she dragged him from the library.

"Oh Lu-chan, you are such a horrible liar." Levy sighed as she took a look around the room. Her gaze fell on Draco, and she allowed herself to smile as she walked over to him. "Thank you for lending me these." Levy pulled the piles of books out of her bag and placed them on the table nearest the dragon.

"I'm just happy that someone was finally able to master her techniques." Draco laid a hand on Levy's head affectionately. "But promise me you won't use **_that_** no matter what happens, you have plenty of other options." Draco's eyes filled with sadness.

"I can't make promises I know I have no intention of keeping, if the time comes and the situation calls for me to than I am ready. So long as I can protect my family I will pay any price."

* * *

><p><strong>SO we are only waiting on Wendy and Charle now, before they head back to reality, and the impending war.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Dragon Court**

* * *

><p>Wendy kept her mind focused on her travels, knowing that if she lost concentration she would certainly begin to cry. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry anymore, she had become stronger, and there was no need to cry. The last two years had been so much more than she ever could have asked for. Grandine had been so proud of how Wendy had been able to master her techniques, as well as incorporate some tricks from Icilo. The pride was mirrored in the frost dragon as well as the unusually quiet Charle. Wendy felt that crying would sully the image of the strong mage she had become.<p>

The journey didn't take long since Wendy used the air currents to drift towards the scent of the others. She had quickly noticed that no one was at the spot where they had originally agreed to meet, but instead they were some where in the northern hills. She made the journey quickly and quietly, neither her nor Charle felt a need to speak because they both knew what was waiting for them in those hills. Wendy could feel the anxiety of measuring up to her other family members, the had all had the same amount of time to train, and she feared that she was still to far behind.

The years had been good to the blue haired mage in may ways, but her clothing wasn't as lucky, her skirts was tattered and torn, as well as her shirt and cloak. She had grown taller, making her clothing unable to cover as much surface as it used to, though she was glad for it when the warm winds of summer wafted into her direction. Wendy found herself sweating because of how acclimated she had become to the cold climate. She kept her eyes shielded against the bright sun, over the past two years on the mountain snow storms often blotted out the sun, leaving them in near darkness, so the brilliant sun was too intense for her eyes that had grown accustom to nearly pitch black conditions.

Once she was close enough that she was certain where they were, Wendy brought herself to the ground, her too short skirt fluttering in the rapid descent. The cover of trees helped dull the light, and she was finally able to adjust her sight in the summer sun. Wendy took off her cloak, stuffing it roughly into her bag. Wendy took a moment to fix herself, straightening her skirt as much as possible before she began to walk the half mile that was left in her trip. She wondered to herself how much the others had changed over their two year separation, was she the only one who had grown taller, she wondered if they would even recognize her. A playful smile lit her face as she looked up at the majestic manner that the Celestial Dragon resided in. It looked to the young woman like one of mid-evil castles out of the fairy stories Lucy had lent to her before everything had gone crazy. Pushing unnecessary thought to the side Wendy allowed herself to follow her nose to where the familiar scents of her brothers were the most potent.

A beautiful rose garden came into view as she walked around to the back side of the manner, she admired the vibrant red and pristine white roses that ran along the high wooden archways, out lining the whole garden. When she rounded the corner into the open space of the main garden Natsu and Gajeel came into full view, they were sparring just far enough away so that the plants wouldn't be in danger. Wendy kept her gaze steady as she searched the area for the location of the rest of the family. Levy and Lucy were huddled under a low hanging willow, not to far from their husbands, chatting excitedly over a large old looking book. Lily and Happy sat on the stone edge of a large flowing fountain, arms and legs folded, Wendy decided they must be in deep meditation if the dragon slayer's fight wasn't bothering them.

"So where is Laxus?" Wendy's sweet voice had deepened slightly, but the others knew immediately who had come. The fight had come to an abrupt stop the moment she had emerged from the rose garden, when a strong wind sent the a full blast of her scent straight at the two older men.

"It's 'bout time you showed up squirt!" Gajeel growled as he wiped a bit of blood from his freshly split lip. He walked over and patted her braided blue hair with a rough hand.

"Yeah, what took you so long? We've been waiting FOREVER!" Natsu folded his arms over his chest waiting for her reply, not wanting to interrupt the tender moment Gajeel was having with their little sister.

"I had things to do." Wendy shrugged off Gajeel's hand, while making her way over to the other females.

"Wendy, you sure have grown!" Levy jumped up wrapping her arms around the younger girls shoulders.

"I can see, I'd say we are the same height now, isn't that strange?" Levy pouted at the younger girl's comment backing off slightly.

"I'd say you are in need new clothing." Lucy giggled as she put her hand on Wendy's head affectionately.

"Huh," Wendy looked down at her tattered clothing and smiled. "I guess my things are a little worse for ware. My shirts have gotten a little to tight as well." She let herself giggle, as she dropped her bag by the tree.

"Wendy has been working hard, it makes sense that her things are a little worn out." Charle said defensively. At the sound of the white Exceed's voice, the other two came to join in to greet them.

"How was your training Charle?" Happy asked shyly.

"I did what I could." The female cat replied without looking Happy or Lily in the eyes.

"So where is Laxus?" Wendy asked again.

"In the study I think." Levy answered.

"Now that the squirt is here, we can finally head home!" Gajeel smirked as he let himself feel happier than he should have.

"I guess so, but there are a few things we still need to get squared away." Lucy shook a finger in the iron dragon slayer's direction.

"Now that the whole family is here, I have to take my title." Natsu grinned as he punched Gajeel in the shoulder. "I'm gonna go tell Igneel so we can get everything ready for the Dragon Court!" He didn't wait for the others to acknowledge his words before running off towards the house.

"Have you all been waiting that long for me?" Wendy asked sheepishly.

"Well I was last to get back before you, and that was six months ago." Levy poked Wendy in the ribs playfully, as she spoke. "But Lu-chan and Natsu have still been training for most of that time, it's not like we were sitting around doing nothing." Wendy nodded, feeling slightly better.

"Was the extra time worth it?" Gajeel still felt slightly awkward being candid and friendly with others, but he still wanted to try, for Levy's sake if not for his own personal reasons.

"I'm a lot stronger, and my healing magic is more potent. I've got a bunch of new techniques, so yeah, the time I spent out there was well worth it." Wendy gave them a bright smile.

"Well I'm going to help you with your clothing, can't have you running around in torn up clothes forever." Lucy circled the other girl. "Levy-chan lets go back in, and I'll call Pavo and Cygnus, we are all going to need something nice for when Igneel summons the dragon court." Lucy linked her arms with both of the other females, pulling them toward the manner, with a sense of purpose.

"Right! This is going to be fun, it's been far to long since the last time we all got together to get all dressed up!" Levy bubbled with excitement.

"Will there be dancing and such?" Wendy asked nervously.

"It should be the same as my Coronation, I hope that Igneel lets me ask Apus to bring the celestial orchestra, they are such a lively bunch!" Lucy began to babble about the coming even as the three navigated the halls of the mansion.

* * *

><p>"How are these?" Pavo held out three gowns for Lucy to inspect.<p>

"Perfect!" Lucy squealed as she grabbed the gowns, passing Levy and Wendy theirs.

"This is the prettiest shade of blue I have ever seen!" Wendy gushed as she held her gown at an arms length away inspecting the delicate silk.

"Mine is silver!" Levy hugged hers to her chest with a bright smile.

"And I'm in gold and red." Lucy added with a giggle.

"Cygnus is delivering the suits for the males in your party." Pavo informed with a bland tone.

"Thank you very much!" The three woman called at once.

"I'll take my leave, good day ladies." Pavo bowed politely before vanishing.

"So the Dragon Court assembles tomorrow, are you both ready?" Lucy twirled around hugging her dress.

"It's so exciting, I can't wait!" Levy bounced around before falling on the bed.

"I'm still a little self conscious now that I can see what I look like." Wendy stood in front of the floor length mirror, swishing the dress back and forth a light blush on her cheeks.

Lucy had several outfits made for the youngest of their party, Pavo and Cygnus had a lot of fun with Wendy's now developed body, and brought her scores of clothing to choose from. Wendy under up with a lacy blue top, and a pleated blue skirt to match. Levy and Lucy had spent a lot of time convincing their youngest companion that she looked better in these than the knee length sun dress that she had started in. The deciding factor had come down to Charle's input, to everyone's relief the exceed had agree with Pavo on the skirt and shirt, and asked them if they could make it in different colors for her.

"I wonder if Romeo will start drooling over you when we get home." Levy's lips curled into an evil grin as she watched Wendy's cheeks flare an even deeper shade of red.

"Levy, please!" Wendy's voice was shrill with embarrassment.

"At least your big brothers like Romeo, I would hate to see you getting involved with someone they disapproved of." Lucy giggled.

"You guys, i-it's not like that!" Wendy protested.

"Oh, but it is like that, you are just realizing it for the first time!" Levy chanted as she ran over to pinch the younger woman's cheeks.

"Yes poor Romeo has had his eyes on you for a while." Lucy sighed, clasping her hands to her heart in a dramatic display.

"Don't tease me!" Wendy pouted as she pushed Levy's hands away from her cheeks.

"You're no fun Wendy." Levy returned the pout just as deeply.

"You might as well own up now, Mrs. Combolt." Lucy cooed, causing Wendy's hair to nearly stand up on end.

"BE QUIET!" She shrieked throwing a pillow at the blonde.

"What you don't want your brothers to hear that their darling little sister has grown into a woman?" Lucy teased, dodging the pillow.

"Luccccy!" Wendy whined, chasing the now laughing blonde right out the door, and down the hallway.

* * *

><p>"Once this thing is over we are leaving right?" Gajeel had been asking the same question for the whole week that it took to organize the court.<p>

"Yes, once we are finished the ceremony, we will head home." Natsu rolled his eyes.

"You sound like a little kid who is home sick." Laxus snickered.

"Shut it lightning boy!" Gajeel growled.

"Some one is cranky." Laxus teased.

"Ok, it's time to head in." Natsu pushed open the large double doors to Draco's entertaining hall.

The decorations were simple and elegant, with white satin fabrics lining the tables, and hanging in delicate scallops from the walls. The sparkling crystal chandeliers were the most extravagant of all the items in the room, four of them dripped down from the ceiling casting tiny rainbows for anyone that looked directly into their light. Hundreds of guests were seated at the round tables which lined the marble dance floor, Natsu kept his calm as he looked around trying to spot his tutors.

"We now present to the court, Sir Natsu Dragneel, Grandson of the King and rightful heir to the throne" Draco's calm voice echoed through the room. Natsu took his cue and walked to the center of the room and bowed keeping his eyes fixed on the tall golden chairs at the head of the room. Igneel was seated in the highest of them.

"Sir Gajeel Redfox, Son of the late Metalicana, and second in command," Gajeel walked up and bowed in the same manner as Natsu. The contrast of their suits was stunning, though they both wore black, Natsu's was much more formal, and gave him a regal air that the other man could never possess.

"Sir Laxus Dreyer, Grandson of our dear friend Makarov Dreyer, acting captain of the Celestial Queen's army." Laxus looked amazingly different in formal clothing. Lucy had insisted that he comb his long hair back, she had even fastened it with a black ribbon to match his suite. His head phones were stashed safely in his bag, so he had no choice but to bare listening to his two younger companions bicker even though it was so quiet they were the only one who were aware that it was even happening.

"Presenting her highness, Queen Lucy Dragneel, Daughter of Layla Dreyer, and protector of the crystal key which links all worlds," The entire hall stood out of respect with the exception of Igneel. Lucy's long golden gown floated around her as though it were made of nothing but air. She offered a curtsey when she reached Natsu, before continuing to take the seat on the left hand of Igneel.

"Lady Levy Redfox, the queens royal advisor" Levy made her way in, silver gown training slightly behind, she too curtsied as she reached her husband but continued on to take the seat to the left of Lucy.

"Lady Wendy Marvell, The fabled sky maiden, the royal family's healer, and lieutenant in her majesty's royal army" Wendy took her time, because she wasn't used to walking in heels, her fitted blue gown outlined her new physic perfectly, making her blush at the mere thought of others seeing her in it. She offered a small curtsey before making her way to sit on the left side of Levy.

"Sir Happy, Sir Panther Lily and Lady Charle, the royal family's close personal companions, we introduce you all the the Dragon Court." The three exceeds walked in together, stopping with the men in the center of the room.

"Kneel." Igneel stood from his chair, a large golden sword in hand. The dragon slayers obeyed, while Igneel walked over to them. "Do you vow to protect your King no matter the sacrifice it may require?" Igneel posed his question towards everyone but Natsu.

"With my very life." They all answered as they had all rehearsed over the past couple weeks.

"Take your seats now as the noble dragons knights." Igneel kept his face stoney, though he wanted so badly to smile at the young mages. This was more important than the young ones realized, but he knew they were feeling the gravity of it now that the ceremony had begun.

"Natsu, the time has come. This sword, Tatsumasa, was forged with the life blood of your elders. In accepting it's hilt you will inherit the memories and the history of our race. I pass to you the burden and joy of leading our kind into the future, do you accept my will?" Igneel let Natsu raise to his full height, dark eyes locked on to those of his beloved grandchild.

"I accept your will, Igneel, the Dragon King, please pass the wisdom of the ancients on to me." Igneel held the sword in his hands offering the hilt to Natsu. Without hesitation Natsu wrapped his hand around the ornate sword. A beautiful golden flame ignited around their hands, wrapping it's way up Natsu's arm till it completely engulfed his entire body.

"I present to the court, the Crown Prince, Natsu Dragneel." Igneel released the sword placing his hand on Natsu's shoulder with the smallest trace of a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. The two walked toward their seats, yet Natsu took the high thrown, and Igneel seated himself to the right hand side next to Gajeel.

"Let the Court's festivities begin!" Natsu held the sword high in the air, a sense of pride filling him as he watched the dragons flow out from their tables and onto the dance floor. The Celestial Orchestra, lead by Apus and Lyra began to play the most upbeat and happy tune Natsu had ever heard, everything felt so right.

"You did really well." Lucy whispered into his ear.

"You think, is this what yours was like?" Natsu whispered back.

"Sort of." Lucy smiled, remembering how much fun it had been to spend the night dancing happily with all her spirit friends.

"Well mine is better." Natsu set a smug smile on his face.

"How so?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"This." Natsu grabbed her hand and dragged her out onto the dance floor. Immediately the others moved back, giving the royal couple enough space. Apus and Lyra started a new song that was slow and sweet. Natsu placed his right hand on her waist, keeping her hand in his left. He smiled brightly leaning in to whisper in her ear. "I remembered how to do this properly." For no reason at all Lucy felt her face flush, as they began to take the steps in a wide swirling pattern.

**(Loreena McKennitt, 'To the Fairies they Draw Near')**

_When the moon comes out to shine her face the birds are fast asleep_  
><em>When lanterns hang from every post the faeries leave their keep<em>

_They join their hands and sing their songs that n'ery a soul can hear_  
><em>In the springtime when the earth is new to the faeries they draw near<em>  
><em>To the faeries they draw near...<em>

_Come away with me now to the sky_  
><em>Up o'er the hills and the sea<em>  
><em>Far beyond where memories lie<em>  
><em>To a place where I'm free to be me<em>

_Oh, gather ye now one and all_  
><em>No what matter what all ye may do<em>  
><em>Where the stars fill your soul<em>  
><em>When the moon cradles all<em>  
><em>So to yourself be true<em>

_The blanket of snow is o'ercome_  
><em>Each flower waits for the sun<em>  
><em>And the whispering tears of the rain<em>  
><em>Holds promise for everyone<em>

_Then come away with me, friends_  
><em>No matter where you call your home<em>  
><em>With a light in our hearts, we will never part<em>  
><em>No matter how far we roam<em>

_Deep in the forest we go_  
><em>Creatures are all fast asleep<em>  
><em>With a kiss and a wink we will waken our souls<em>  
><em>Love is the safety we'll keep<em>

_And then we'll dance through the night_  
><em>Till the sun beams sparkle at dawn<em>  
><em>And up way we will go like last winter's snow<em>  
><em>Soon our work will be done<em>

_Oh, gather ye now one and all_  
><em>No what matter what all ye may do<em>  
><em>Where the stars fill your soul<em>  
><em>When the moon cradles all<em>  
><em>So to yourself be true<em>

_Oh, gather ye now one and all_  
><em>No what matter what all ye may do<em>  
><em>Where the stars fill your soul<em>  
><em>When the moon cradles all<em>  
><em>So to yourself be true<em>

_So to yourself be true..._

Lucy couldn't help but giggle as she listened to Lyra's song, the lyrics were light and playful. Natsu seemed to enjoy it as much as she did, after the song began, several others came to join them on the dance floor, twirling happily in time to the bright music.

"You're right, this is much better." Lucy whispered in Natsu's ear before the song ended and they broke apart to bow politely. "Where did you learn to dance like this?" Lucy furrowed her brow, trying to decide who would have been most suited to teaching.

"Your mom." Natsu laughed. "Igneel told her that I was nervous about the whole arrangement, I don't know exactly when it was, but I do remember her." Lucy sighed as she looked through his memories, trying to get a glimpse of Natsu dancing with her mother.

"Mama was an excellent teacher." Lucy giggled as the two walked back to their seats.

"She said I was a natural." Natsu beamed with pride. "It's nice to be able to remember all those things again, and they are so vivid in my mind, it's like everything happened yesterday." Lucy patted his arm, with a sweet smile.

"So how long do we need to sit here before we can head home?" Gajeel muttered to Natsu.

"Will you calm down, the night is young my friend! Go take Levy for a dance." Natsu answered playfully. Gajeel grumbled under his breath, before making his way over to his wife to offer his hand.

"I am done with you, so the two of you can leave any time you wish." Igneel poked Natsu in the cheek, with a wide smile.

"I want to enjoy this one last night before we head back into the war zone." Natsu's smile slipped away for a moment. "And now that everyone is finally together, I think it'll be good for us to have a nice memory to hold onto when the fighting starts." Igneel looked his grandson over with a careful eye. Natsu had matured a considerable amount over the past two years, he had become a fine mage as well as a fine man, and Igneel was very proud to give him the sword that was all that remained of his beloved mate.

"Yes, one more night can't hurt." Igneel agreed with a warm small.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Are you still with me? If you are then next week we will come home to Fairy tail! Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope you enjoyed it!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Home Sweet Home**

* * *

><p>"I'm going to miss you brats." Igneel put a hand on top of Natsu and Lucy's head.<p>

"Don't talk like this is the last time you'll see us old man!" Natsu pushed the hand off his head with a half hearted smile.

"Yeah, we will come visit as soon as this is all resolved." Lucy fought the overwhelming need to cry.

The grand hall of Draco's mansion was filled with the sounds of emotional good byes. Every dragon had come to wish the young mages luck on their mission, and tried their best to keep their emotions at bay.

"Levy, please take care of yourself." Abra who turned back into her dragon form to keep the tears at bay said softly. The twins nuzzled their small noses against Levy's wordlessly saying their goodbyes.

"Remember that you have everything you need, you just have to will it. And for god sake don't use** that**, because we want to visit you at fairy tail like you said, and we can't do that if you do... so don't." Uruloki was losing his composure, even in his dragon form it was becoming hard to hide, so he let it out, sobbing thick tears streaming from his ruby eyes like two steady rivers.

"When we return home I would love to have you all for a visit, I promise to do everything in my power to get all of my family home safely." Levy promised patting the dragon on the head with her index finger. "I'm going to miss you all so much." She let a tear roll down her cheek as well.

Wendy played this the silken fabric of her gown, not wanting to say a second good bye to the dragons who stood tall and proud in front of her. "Wendy, just remember that you can do anything you set your mind to." Icilo laid his cool hands on the smaller woman's shoulders.

"And no matter what else happens, remember that we are both very proud of you." Grandine smiled sweetly as she rested the palm of her hand on Wendy's cheek. "Charle, please continue to take good care of her." The white exceed only nodded, fighting her own nervousness back.

"I don't want to say good bye." Wendy said in a small voice.

"Then don't, this is more like we will see you later." Icilo gave a calm smile to sooth Wendy's visible unease.

"I guess you're right, this isn't really good bye." She smiled back.

On the other side of the hall Laxus had his eyes glued to the floor trying to ignore his two companions. Constantine nodded several times in agreement to Umbros' teases, only causing the dragon slayer to sigh deeper.

"Laxus has a pony tail, like a little girl." The poison dragon laughed while pulling on Laxus' hair, unashamed at the idea that the others were now staring in their direction.

"A very Lovely little girl." Constantine added with a wicked smile.

"AWWWWW Pretty little Lexy!" They sang together before bursting into another round of laughter.

Laxus had just about as much as he could take from the two, with out any warning his hands came to the side of each dragon's head forcing them to collide with a loud cracking sound.

"Aww look they like each other so much they can't stay apart!" Laxus mocked as the two dragon fell to the ground clutching their bruised heads.

"Brat." Umbros chided.

"I guess we went to far that time." Constantine winced as he tried to raise an eyebrow.

"Can't even say a nice good bye, you sadist bastards, can you?" Laxus crossed his arms over his chest in irritation.

"Bye?" The both shrugged getting back up from the ground still holding their sore heads.

"Bye." Laxus stormed off to join the only one who wasn't bothering to speak to any of the dragons. Gajeel stayed in his seat watching everyone else closely. He personally couldn't wait to get away from this place, and head back to his home. He kept his watchful eyes on Levy as she hugged the group of small dragons who were fawning over her rather loudly. He was finished with this place, and hoped he and his wife would never have a reason to come back.

"Well, I'm going to open the path then." Lucy pulled out the crystal key from the inside of her gown with a small smile. "Is everyone ready?" The mages gathered behind Natsu and Lucy as she drew a set of double doors in the air. "This will become a permanent way for me to access this world from Fairy Tail, as well as the vice versa. I hope to see you all soon."

"Take care while we clean up the mess out there!" Natsu waved, his back pack and sword strapped between his shoulders. Lucy pushed open the doors filling the room with a bright shining light, the nine traveling companions walked through the door without turning to see the dragons waving, or the increased flow of tears.

"It's up to you now." Igneel held his head high, knowing that Natsu would do everything in his power to avert the destruction of the human world that his grandson loved so dearly.

* * *

><p>Mira hummed a little tone as she cleaned the bar counter top. She wondered if Natsu and his group had managed to reach their destination, and what kind of face Natsu had made when he met his father figure once more. There were only a few short months remaining till the time Lucy had seen the attacks happening, and she hoped they would return in time.<p>

The guild hall was unusually quiet since a lot of members were off training. Gray was one of the few who stayed behind, he was off in the corner with 'Lucy' and 'Levy' going over details of a mission Master had requested they take. 'Laxus' spent most of his time in the master's quarters with Erza and 'Lucy' as well as Master going over allies and enemies. Battle strategies were the main topic of discussion with most members who weren't out on missions to keep their minds sharp.

Every eye in the room turned to the main doors when there was a low rumble, like far off thunder. The seams of the door began to glow golden before they swung forward blinding anyone who looked directly at it.

"WE'RE BACK!" boomed through the silent guild hall. The light died away as the doors closed behind the nine figures.

"Welcome home." The tears welled up in the bar maids eyes as she dropped the rag on the counter, practically running at the smiling group.

"It's good to be back." Natsu breathed out as Mira tackled him to the ground in a fierce hug. "Oi, Mira you're going to ruin my suite." He laughed as she pulled back to get a better look at them. Every one of them had grown, especially Wendy who was absolutely stunning in her fitted blue ball gown.

"Have my children finally returned?" A voice called from the top of the stairs.

"Yes Grampa we are home." Lucy smiled, letting her pack slide to the ground before she ran to his side. "I'm so glad you're ok." She sobbed as she knelled on the floor in front of him, arms wrapped around his small frame. Makarov patted her head, motioning for her to stand.

"What's with the fancy clothes?" Gray shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked over to look at the gang.

"We came right form the Ceremony." Natsu shrugged.

"You just got there under a week ago, right?" Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Time differences in the other dimensions are strange." Natsu dusted off his back side with a warm smile. "We've been gone for more than two years." Natsu pointed at Wendy who was the obvious proof of his accusation.

"Are you going to keep blaming it on me? I'm serious that I needed the extra six months! Just wait till we get into a serious fight, I'll show you." Wendy puffed out her cheeks in anger.

"He is teasing you Squirt, don't let it get to you." Gajeel laid a hand on her shoulder, not wanting to mess up her pretty hair style.

"Do you want me to knock him out for you?" Laxus grinned, pulling the ribbon out of his long hair. "I'd be glad to." Wendy shook her head in reply, knowing that they were all to exhausted to get into a friendly brawl.

"I'm tired of being all dressed up." Laxus pulled off his suite jacket and loosened his tie.

"What are you doing? Those don't belong on the floor you idiot!" Lucy scolded.

"Yeah, yeah. The whole formal court thing is over, I'm changing back into normal clothes now." Laxus stuck his tongue out as he walked past his cousin to the showers in the back.

"I agree." Natsu and Gajeel said at the same time throwing their jackets where Laxus had left his. Both men headed in the direction of the showers, but were stopped by a golden wall.

"I said those don't belong on the floor!" Lucy seethed. Natsu turned his head giving her a playful grin.

"Bet you're going be mad when I do this." Natsu took a large bite out of her barrier and continued on towards the showers. "I'll be back in a while." He waved with a chuckle.

"Did Natsu just EAT, Lucy's spirit wall?" Gray's mouth practically hit the floor.

"One of the perks of mastering the celestial element." Levy informed as she made her way over to the bar, her silver gown trailing behind her.

"He thinks he's so cool now, just because he can counter my magic." Lucy crossed her arms over her chest in displeasure.

"He **is** pretty cool now, you have to admit it sooner or later." Wendy made her way to join the other two females.

"I still want to see the two of you fight!" Happy perched himself on the bar in front of Lucy with a happy grin.

"Yes I agree that it would be nice to watch." Lilly nodded his head in agreement.

"Not going to happen, I would like to keep Magnolia on the face of the map." Lucy sighed patting Happy on the head. "We could destroy a whole country if we got serious."

"Can't you just sword play for a little? I want to see Natsu fight with a sword..." The blue cat whined.

"Maybe later, besides Tatsumasa isn't a sword you just mess around with." Lucy laid her head on the table.

"You look tired." A familiar face smiled down at the blonde.

"It's strange to look at my own face, even though I'm used to Gemini doing it, can you change back now Ultear?" She nodded in agreement. "That goes for you too Meredy and Jellal. Now that we are back there is no reason to hide you're faces any more."

"Are the three of you going to change as well?" Erza descended the stairs with a smile.

"I feel like being lazy for a little while." Lucy shrugged.

"I like my gown thank you very much." Levy smiled

"I will soon, I just haven't decided what to change into yet." Wendy leaned back against the counter casually, it seemed that she was more at ease now that they were finally home.

"So the mission was a success?" Erza sat on the last open seat leaning her chin against her inter laced hands.

"Yep everyone is completely bad ass now!" Wendy cheered.

"Laxus is a real Dragon slayer now, Levy learned a new script magic, Gajeel... well he took his inheritance. Natsu mastered the eight Dragon elements, and I spent two years studying with the Celestial Dragon, who taught me everything there was to know about the history of all three of our worlds." Lucy took a breath. "I haven't seen what you accomplished Miss. Wendy, but I'm sure you mastered the ancient sky magics I gave you." Lucy smiled at her younger sister.

"I have some awesome offensive moves now." Wendy smiled brightly. "I can even manipulate the weather if I want to." She leaned down and started going through her bottomless sack to find the clothing she wanted to change into. "Charle can you come help me undo my hair, I don't even want to know how many pins Cancer used." The white cat nodded with out a word and followed her young friend off to the back.

"So in other words we have 6 mages who are on the wizard saints level now?" Gray questioned.

"Jellal, Ultear and Merdey are at that level as well." Lucy answered. "And you can't count out Erza and Grampa."

"Gray you have been working hard too." Levy tilted her head to the side. "I may not be a Dragon slayer like everyone else, but my senses have improved drastically and I can tell you are more powerful then when we left."

Gray rubbed the back of his neck with an emotionless expression, before shrugging.

"Natsu wants to fight with you before we start getting down to serious business. So be careful." Lucy yawned. "Levy I feel like being Lazy so I'm heading home." She spun in her seat and drew a door box around herself. "See you first thing tomorrow morning, Night everyone." With a pop she was gone.

"Really? She couldn't walk?" Levy shook her head in distaste.

"Lighten up Levy, she is exhausted, do you know how much energy it takes to open a door between the two dimensions for just one entity?" Natsu put his pack on the floor and took a seat next to his blue haired friend. "She brought through all those spirits to the Dragon's lair then brought all of us here, I bet she is running lower on her magic that she has in a long time."

"Not to mention she has been battling off Laxus for the past couple of months none stop." Gajeel snickered.

"Just give me a few more times, she has to be almost out of tricks." Laxus growled.

"So you still can't beat her?" Makarov laughed.

"Shut up old man, I got to the point where I'm exhausting her, it's progress!" The blonde haired mage crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Doesn't change the fact that you still keep LOSING." Gajeel put the emphasis on his last word, pointing a finger accusingly.

"He has a point." Natsu nodded.

"I just love that fact that Laxus won't challenge Natsu." Happy added in.

"Yeah, why haven't you challenged Natsu?" Levy grinned mischievously.

"Same reason Lucy won't fight him." Laxus shrugged.

"Lucy knows how to hold back, I'm not so good at it." Natsu leaned back in his chair with a lazy yawn. "If I'm not careful I could do some major damage."

"Not all Dragon's are destructive." Levy pointed out.

"Yeah, Sky and earth aren't that bad, but lightning and water are just as destructive as my fire. But hey now I can put out my own fires." Natsu laughed.

"It's odd to fight him now." Gajeel grabbed a mug from Mira. "He can go from one element to another with out much effort, or mix them if he wants. It makes you more of a freak in my opinion."

"A proud freak." Natsu agreed with a deep throaty laugh.

"You are to calm." Gray cautiously poke Natsu in the side of the head. "Are you really Natsu?"

"Well, that's complicated. I am, and at the same time I'm a completely different person." Natsu took a mug that Mira offered.

"Natsu is using Sage talk to confuse you Gray." A puff of smoke revealed Loke who smiled at his friends.

"I'd rather be a Dragon Sage than a defective lion spirit." Natsu replied without looking.

"I'm not defective! I've told you a thousand times that I don't need stupid EARS!" Loke yelled directly in Natsu's ear.

"I wonder if I should eat your life force, maybe I'll use you as an example for the idiot fox who still hasn't learned to keep his paws off my wife." Natsu narrowed his eyes dangerously at the orange mained spirit.

"All right, all right I'll back off." Loke squeaked, backing up a considerable amount.

"That's better, now did you have something you needed?" Natsu turned back in his seat to finish his whiskey with a small smile.

"I just wanted to make sure someone stays with Lucy while her magic is this low." Loke rubbed the back of his head.

"She's fine. So long as she keeps her swords in this world you have nothing to worry about." Natsu pushed himself off the stool and spun round to look over the crowd of guild mates who had been listening to their exchange.

"Gray's right, you are much to calm." Cana said with a sigh. "But in a strange way it suits you." Natsu gave her a tired smile as thanks for her words.

"Lucy is going to want a full report in the morning, I know it hasn't felt like all that much time has passed for you all, but she and I have been preparing for a full year, and I need what ever documents you have so I can line them up with our plans." He reached inside his pack and pulled out a stack of papers placing them on the bar. "Erza, will you lend me a hand."

Erza nodded taking some of the papers to shift through.

"Here, different colored pens." Levy passed Erza a red pen and Natsu an orange one. "It'll make it easier for Lucy to see what was adjusted." Levy let out a yawn of her own.

"I think we'll be heading back to our place for now, make sure to send Wendy home when she is done." Gajeel picked his suit jacket up off the floor getting his things ready to leave.

"She'll be sticking around for a while, but don't worry I'm watching her." Natsu motioned to Romeo with his eyes. Gajeel scowled in the boys direction for a few moments.

"Wendy is almost fifteen now, I think you should give her some space." Levy patted her husband's arm affectionately.

"With three older brothers I doubt anyone will be brave enough to try much of anything." Natsu smiled at his friends. "Get some rest you deserve it." He threw his hands out to shoo them.

"See you tomorrow then." Gajeel turned to walk out the door, Lily and Levy just behind.

"Now that metal face is gone lets get back to business." Laxus took the seat when Lucy had been sitting taking some of the papers from Natsu's pile.

"Laxus is strange too." Mira shook her head.

"We aren't strange, just older." Natsu frowned as he went over the figure in Lucy documents.

"Would it be alright for me to say that Lucy is under estimating the numbers on our side, and she is over rating the enemy." Laxus muttered as he flipped through the documents.

"If we are prepared for them to out number us by that large a margin than we will be better equip to keep casualties down." Natsu answered without looking away.

"Lucy and Levy have been working out the numbers since she is the royal advisor." Wendy answered as she came walked over to join everyone else. "Don't mess around with their formula, we just need a confirmed number of all the dark guilds that are currently active." She pointed to a few pages that had blank spots.

"So is the plan to anticipate the numbers that will attack us?" Erza tapped her pen against the bar.

"No." Wendy answered flatly.

"We are going to strike first." Natsu answered.

"But where will you start, there are over a hundred active dark guilds." Mira questioned.

"We aren't going to bother with those small fries." Natsu gave her a dark, menacing grin.

"We are going to take down their back bone first?" Laxus cracked his knuckles in excitement.

"So, Tortaros?" Loke supplied.

"Their on the list yeah." Wendy giggled.

"I doubt they'll be much trouble." Laxus pulled out a cantine from his bag.

"Lets just worry about confirming the numbers for now, Lucy and I will finalize the plans after that." Natsu held out his mug to Mira for a refill. "It won't be long before I take revenge on the bastards who slaughtered so many of my cousins." Natsu growled before draining his cup.

"We have an idea of where the Black dragon is too." Wendy put her pack down and pulled out a map spreading it out next to Erza. "He moves rather frequently, but I'm certain the he circles back to the same area every seven years or so."

* * *

><p><strong>Who will be their first target? Will they have enough man power to take on their enemies? WAS the CHAPTER good? Tune in next Friday to find out the answer to the first two, and leave a message and tell me about the third. As always I don't care if you review, I prefer PM so feel free to join the conversation!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Target acquired  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><em>Previously::<em>**

_"We are going to strike first." Natsu answered._

_"But where will you start, there are over a hundred active dark guilds." Mira questioned._

_"We aren't going to bother with those small fries." Natsu gave her a dark, menacing grin._

_"We are going to take down their back bone first?" Laxus cracked his knuckles in excitement._

_"So, Tortaros?" Loke supplied._

_"Their on the list yeah." Wendy giggled._

_"I doubt they'll be much trouble." Laxus pulled out a cantine from his bag._

_"Lets just worry about confirming the numbers for now, Lucy and I will finalize the plans after that." Natsu held out his mug to Mira for a refill. "It won't be long before I take revenge on the bastards who slaughtered so many of my cousins." Natsu growled before draining his cup._

_"We have an idea of where the Black dragon is too." Wendy put her pack down and pulled out a map spreading it out next to Erza. "He moves rather frequently, but I'm certain that he circles back to the same area every seven years or so."_

* * *

><p>Natsu had stayed in the guild hall with Erza and Laxus exchanging information for the majority of the night. It was close to two am when he finally shooed Wendy and Laxus out so that he could concentrate without their bickering over who was going to get to take the lead in the up coming mission. He worked tirelessly till just before dawn getting everything organized for the meeting that would follow later that day. Natsu, not feeling up to leaving only to come right back, propped himself on a table to catch some much needed sleep.<p>

Slowly the mages of Fairy tail came back, grabbing food and talking amongst themselves trying to figure out what could possibly be thrown at them next. Natsu tired his best to ignore the stares of those who were still not completely comfortable with his change, he played like he didn't have a care in the world as he lounged in the corner of the bar, yawning frequently. It really was shocking to see Natsu calm and collected, working on strategy and planning, it left a lot of his guild mates to simply stare with their mouths hanging open. Even though he had calmed down a lot when Lucy and he had gotten married, no one had ever seen him so focused outside of the battle field.

Once the others in the family started to arrive, Natsu moved his base of operation to a table that was large enough to fit all of them. It would be easier to just go over everything all at once.

Lucy was the last of the main group to arrive, yawning as she pulled up a chair to the large table her friends and husband were going over the large map that had little notations written in red and orange. Natsu briefed her quickly using their link to show her every detail that might be relevant to the events they were about to set in motion.

"So you have everything you need now?" Natsu turned to Lucy with a calm expression, his eyes made contact with hers conveying how he knew the reports were different than she had received a while back.

"I think so, we have more man power than I anticipated, it will work in our favor that I didn't have these figures when we devised the original plan." Lucy took the stack of papers that were placed just beside the red head, quickly shuffling through them to adjust her internal map of who was going where.

"Next step is for everyone to know where they are going, and how many people they will be allowed to take with them." Natsu leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face. It felt good to take care of the small details so that Lucy could handle the harder portions.

"I have that right here." Levy pulled out another stack of papers handing them over to Lucy with a smile.

"Thank you." Lucy looked the map over several times, pointing out the dark guild hide outs to herself.

"So we are splitting into teams then?" Erza asked as she watched Lucy observe the map.

"We need to take down as many targets as we can at one time to minimize their retaliation strength." Lucy explained. "Since these guilds are close to our allies I think it would be best to leave it in their hands. The ones that will cause us the most trouble will be the black dragon, Zeref and the council." Lucy pointed out the locations as she spoke.

"You're joking right? There is no way we can beat the council!" Gray choked as he saw how serious the look on both Lucy and Natsu's faces were.

"I don't intend to fight them, Gray." Lucy shook her head as she pulled out a few more pages.

"Then what are you planning?" The ice mage rubbed his neck nervously as he watched Natsu and Lucy look at each other for a few moments.

"I am going to fix the problem." Lucy shrugged with a small smile.

"They are allowing this world to fall into the darkness, we can't allow them to continue down this path." Natsu answered. "It's our duty to fix this corruption, not just in Fiore, but in all of Earthland. I swore an oath, and I don't care if that means I have to barge into Era by myself, I will do what is necessary. This is more serious than you realize Gray, you see, this only the beginning." Natsu patted the now younger man on the back with a bright grin.

"Zeref on the other hand will be complicated. No matter what research I have done, predicting where he will show up next looks like it might be near impossible. We are just going to have to play it by ear where he is concerned." Lucy took out a hand full of colored tokens marking the locations of the different targets to match the teams that would be assigned to wiping them out.

"We can save him for later, I don't think he will interfere with the plan." Natsu stretched lazily.

"I think so too. Well then I guess it would be best to if Erza could be in charge of taking on the remaining heads of the Dark Guild's alliance, she is one of the most accomplished fighters we have." Lucy looked over to the red head who nodded in acknowledgment. "Gray I want you to handle Raven tail. And since Laxus has a score to settle he will be accompanying you." the two men gave her a nod, neither having a complaint. "Levy will stick with me, we will head to Era to handle the council. As for Natsu and Gajeel they will be taking a team to face off with the black dragon." Lucy looked around to her friends who all nodded.

"Remember to play it safe out there, we still have some unknown factors concerning an enemy who is trying to get his hands on a very powerful lost magic. If you find yourself in a dark cave where you can't use your magic, make sure you stay away from the large lead doors that have this type of writing on them." Natsu pulled out a scaled down version of the Door of the Damned.

"There is no guarantee that we will be able to save you if you get taken into that place so please be extra cautious. Watch each others backs carefully." Levy added.

"Juvia and Cana, I will have you be the messengers to Lamia and Blue Pegasus. Take these documents with you so that they can portion themselves out wisely. I expect you both to handle the major targets on your own lists." Lucy handed two separate stacks of papers over to the younger women.

"Do you still intend to leave me behind?" Wendy asked with a frown.

"No Wendy, I have a very special job that I want you and Romeo to take care of for me." Wendy's eyes grew wide for a few moments as Lucy whispered in her ear. Lucy pulled back with a sad smile on her face. "I want Charle and Happy to stick close to you both is that clear?" Wendy regained her composure and smiled brightly at the woman who she respected so much.

"Do you really think that is a good idea?" Natsu crossed his arms across his chest with a deep frown.

"Happy will make sure she is well protected, won't you Happy?" Lucy smiled over at the three exceeds who weren't far from the blonde.

"Fairy Tail mages can take care of themselves, but we will be there to back them up." Happy answered in a way that was unlike his normal cheerful banter.

"Now, now. Enough of this." Lucy placed her hand on his head comfortingly. "I'm not sending you out of the way of the battle, I just have a sensitive matter that needs to be dealt with, Wendy will need you as well as Romeo and Charle to back her up. This is a very big mission she is taking on." Lucy let her hand fall away as she felt the room grow still.

"Back to business." Natsu cleared his throat pointing to the map once again.

"So do we get to choose our teams?" Gray asked with his arms folder over his chest.

"Erza will be in charge of assigning her teams out. Gray you and Laxus will be taking Loke and one more member of you're choosing, just remember that my uncle isn't going to back down easily." Lucy smiled at her cousin who was already cracking his knuckles.

"One last thing, we need someone who will stay behind to protect the guild, and Gramps." Natsu turned around leaning against the table casually. "Would anyone like to volunteer themselves for the task?" The room was silent for a short while before someone cough.

"Since we will only slow you guys down the veterans can manage the home front." Macao stated with a smile.

"We'll let the young people do the hard work." Someone from the back called out.

"Right then, I'll leave you all to sort out what needs to be done. In case we don't see each other till this whole affair is over, I wish each and everyone of you good luck." Lucy smiled brightly making her way back out of the guild hall.

"Well I'm off then." Cana set her untouched mug on the counter with a smile to Mira before shouldering her traveling pack.

"Juvia will be going as well." The water mage timidly waved as she headed to catch up with the brunette.

"Gajeel and I will be going after the dragon, is there anyone who wants a little pay back for what happened on the island?" Natsu looked around to see who might be interested.

"I want to go." Elfman stepped forward, his expression lacking any emotions. "You may not need me, but it's a man's duty to repay those who injure his family." Natsu patted him roughly on the back with a broad smile.

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

"So Gray who are you taking with you?" Erza raised a brow.

"If Mira is feeling up to it I'd like to have her with us." Gray shrugged.

"You can count on me!" Mira grinned balling her hands into fists.

* * *

><p>Separation was hard for all the members of the Dragon colony, especially since they had only just gotten back together recently. Levy and Lucy knew that it must have been just as hard for their male counter parts, who felt the same pain during their previous periods of separation. Lucy had the advantage of her link to keep her from missing her husband to much, and Levy could communicate through Lucy to get to her husband if need be, even if that sounded strange to someone who was unfamiliar with the family dynamic, it was second nature to Lucy and Natsu to be a sort of communication device for their closest friends.<p>

The plan was finally underway, and everyone in Fairy Tail had gone off to take care of their own duties. Wendy had left first, excited by the fact that she was given such a precious chance to prove herself to her elders. Levy smiled to herself as she thought of how Wendy had looked dragging Romeo out the guild doors shouting happily like her older brothers were known for. It was really amusing to see the refined little Wendy they had all known melt away into this confident and spunky young woman. Levy felt proud of her younger siblings transformation, and deep down she knew that Wendy was just as happy with how she had grown.

Lucy and Levy stood at the base of the hill looking up at the massive building that housed the Foire branch of the Magic council. It had taken two days to hike from the capitol city to this point, and for Levy the nerves of such an important mission were bubbling around like little butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

"We should have brought more people, don't you think?" Levy sighed as she saw a unit of Rune Knights march past the main gate.

"We will be enough." Lucy laughed as she put a hand on her friends shoulder. Levy wasn't sure what it was that her best friend had planned from this point on, but she knew that they were going to be vastly out numbered if a fight broke out. It would be unfortunate to have to show them the extent of their powers this early on, but if it could be help she and Lucy would try to reason with the members of the council to come to a peaceful solution.

Levy sighed as she watched the guards change over to the next shift, they were keeping a fifteen man squad at all times it seemed. The fact that security was beefed up didn't escape either female as they counted out the rune knights that were stationed in intervals around the perimeter of the massive building. Lucy seeming satisfied with her observations after about half an hour, as she turned her back to the council building and started to walk off. Levy turned to follow Lucy who was obviously headed back down the hill to check into a hotel in the town that lay in the small valley.

The women whiled away the next day in the hot springs of a luxurious bath house that they were super lucky to find. It was expensive, but neither girl complained since it was something they both felt was a well deserved treat for the hard work they had been putting in. It gave them time to recharge, and get their heads straight before they implemented the plan.

"So lets go over this one more time, we are just going to walk into the council room and demand all of their resignations?" Levy still wasn't sure how Lucy intended that conversation to go, and the fact that Lucy could nod her head with a bright smile scared Levy a little bit.

They had requested an audience with the council members under Lucy's new statue as Celestial Royalty, and that had apparently been enough for their request to be granted. It was all happening in a matter of hours, Lucy and Levy would head up to Era and stand before the whole council with their usual bright smiles and demand something preposterous. Levy could imagine two out comes to this demand, the first was laughter, surely the council would think it was all a prank, or some horrible joke gone array. The second and less favorable of outcomes could be the council arresting them and throwing them into prison. Levy didn't care for either option at the moment, but Lucy had assured her that there was nothing to worry about.

"Think of us as the decoy." Lucy smirked as she laid across her bed facing the ceiling. "While the Council is busy dealing with us the others will be able to do their jobs without interference from the rune knights."

"You really think they're going to call back their forces because you are showing up?" Levy raised a skeptical brow in her friends direction.

"The already have, everything is going exactly as we planned." For a moment Levy felt a small shiver run up her spine at the evil grin Lucy had plastered to her face.

"You really are related to Laxus..." She breathed to herself.

"Natsu and Gajeel aren't working in our time frame so we don't have to worry that they haven't tracked down the dragon yet, but it seems that all my other pieces are in place." Lucy pushed herself off the bed. "Time to get ready."

* * *

><p>The two women stood at the podium in the center of the main conference room waiting for the noise to calm back down. "So it is true then, that the children of the sky have finally come." One of the eldest mages called down.<p>

"I am standing right before you now." Lucy held herself with dignity. "My counter part is taking care of some business for the current King so I come to you with my adviser instead." Lucy made a gesture to Levy who gave a respectful bow to her superiors.

"What business has brought you here, your Highness?" Lucy turned to a younger rough looking mage who grinned in her directing. His whole being emitted a sense of superiority, and she found his thoughts repulsive. It truly was a waste to have such a handsome man who was completely corrupted by the power of his title and statue. Surely if he wasn't so ugly on the inside, she would want to introduce him to Cana later on, he looked to be her type.

"I have come to do my duties as the governing body of the Celestial Realm. It is my demand that you off me all of your resignations." Lucy didn't bate an eye as she spoke fiercely.

"And what if your demands are refused?" An elderly female mage asked with concerned eyes.

"Than I shall have no choice but to make you." This statement put the hall in an up roar once more.

"What makes a little girl like you think she is capable of making us do anything?" The smug mage sneered, his niceties had all but washed away at her threat. It was apparent that this man would be her biggest challenge.

"I will give you this one opportunity to comply with the wishes of both the Celestial Royal decree, and the decision of the Dragon Court. If you still refuse to lay down your titles I will take them by force." Levy's palms started to sweat she she watched the older, more experienced mages of the council burn with anger at the demands of the two women, who were no more than toddlers in their eyes.

"Hand over your written resignations within the next thirty minutes or we will be forced to take drastic measures." Levy used her most authoritative voice to drive the point home. Lucy kept her eyes fixed on the man she knew was going to cause the most trouble, she saw the way his mind worked, and knew he was going to fight to the bitter end.

* * *

><p>Erza sent the signal through the small travel lycrima once Levy had sent her word that they were heading up to Era for their audiance with the council. The adrenaline filled her veins as she silently counted down.<p>

_five_

_four_

_three_

_two_

She gave the hand signal, and kicked in the door to the guild hall. To her great joy it was packed full of powerful looking mages, she re-quiped into her Knights armor and began slicing through her enemies as though they were mere toys that she used for practice. Not far behind Bisca covered her back shooting down any one that Erza may have missed. For all the talk about Tortaros being the third corner of the dark guilds alliance they seemed to go down pretty easy.

Erza concentrated as she felt out the presence of the stronger mages, hoping one of them might be an actual challenge for her. The pressure hit her like a ton of bricks when she finally found him, the ace of the guild. A nameless assassin who came in the dead of night to avoid witnesses, Erza had heard stories about the bloody carnage the man had often left behind. The _Shinigami_ of Eisenwald was a saint compared to this man who stood amongst the shadows.

Nothing was known about his magic, or how he managed to evade detection every time, but one thing was certain in the mind of the Titania, she wanted to be the one to take him down. "Bisca I'm going ahead, clean up the rest of this rif raf." Bisca gave a half salute and a smile before she turned back to take out the three targets that were charging towards her.

Erza let an excited smile creep onto her face as she neared her prey. It was rather amusing that he wasn't even trying to flee, quite the contrary, he let out a high pitched laugh that would have sent any other opponent running for their lives.

"So we finally meet, Titania." He took a step forward revealing his piercing blue eyes which were fixed on Erza. A cocky smirk lifted the edge of his lips distorting his otherwise handsome face.

* * *

><p><strong>And so the battle begins! Sorry this is a few days late... and the next chapter will most likely be even later, my brother comes in tomorrow afternoon, and I'm excited to spend some quality time with him. Happy Valentine's day to everyone, I wish you all can have a very special, sweet and romantic night with that special someone!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Erza vs. the shadow**

_::Previously::_

_Erza let an excited smile creep onto her face as she neared her prey. It was rather amusing that he wasn't even trying to flee, quite the contrary, he let out a high pitched laugh that would have sent any other opponent running for their lives._

_"So we finally meet, Titania." He took a step forward revealing his piercing blue eyes which were fixed on Erza. A cocky smirk lifted the edge of his lips distorting his otherwise handsome face._

* * *

><p>Steely blue eyes followed her every movement. Erza, knowing that this was an opponent who would require her full attention, requiped into her favorite armor, two broad swords ready at her sides.<p>

Erza found she was becoming slightly irritated as she walked closer to the handsome man who stood half concealed in the shadows. He acknowledged her upon first examination, and yet she could not give him the same courtesy, this would surely bother her later on. Erza would never admit to it, but she felt a need to know the names of the opponents who were brought down by her hands. It didn't need to make sense to anyone else, and she had never voiced it aloud, but the woman was very aware that she would be bothered if she never learned this man's name, because she was certain that she would be the one to strike him down. She took one last deep breath to steady the racing of her heart as she collected her scattered thoughts.

"I had hoped I would get to fight you, Ace of Tortaros, today must be my lucky day." Her calm voice resounded through the hall, masking her inward irritation, while her heavy foot falls echoed loudly in the tense air. It didn't matter that she knew nothing about this man or his magic, all that mattered was that the safety of Fairy Tail was on the line. Erza was going to protect her home and friends no matter the cost, she'd be damned if she died here when Jellal was finally back in her life. She chanted those words as her new mantra, reminding herself that she was here to fight for her family, not for her own pride.

"Not even the great Erza Scarlet knows my name, what a pity; I wonder if I should feel insulted." The nameless man tilted his head to the side with a half-crazed look taking over his icy blue eyes. Erza allowed herself to snicker at the man's observation, for it was one she had silently made herself.

"I have no need for the name of a villain, now come, and meet your demise." The man's mouth turned into a sour grimace, he had not missed the note of teasing in the iron clad woman's voice, nor the amusement she displayed when she should be quaking in fear of retribution.

"You will regret insulting me, Fairy trash." A hot searing pain ripped across Erza's left cheek, followed by the sensation of blood trickling down her face. He was indeed fast by any standard; she hadn't even had the time to dodge the attack. Erza was never one to waste her time; within a few moments she had requiped into her flight armor in the hope that it would put her on even terms with her opponents speed. Her increased reflexes helped her dodge the next two attacks, but she still wasn't able to see what it was that was attacking her. The man's laugh echoed painfully in Erza's ears as his latest attack connected with the section of her armor that showed her bare skin.

Erza bit back a pained shriek that would have only given her opponent an advantage in the mental standing of their battle. She was becoming tired of playing this childish game already, her dark eyes narrowed in on the man who was making himself a very open target.

'_You are making this almost too easy for me.'_ The thought came and went in an instant. In a flash Erza had closed the space between the two, both sword slicing through the air with amazing power and speed. Her blades bit into the pillar which was where the man had previously been standing, which momentarily threw Erza's concentration off track.

Erza didn't have time to marvel at his personal speed, after all it wasn't like she had never faced an opponent who out matched her in agility. A new pain cut into her outer thigh with enough force to splatter her blood out across the wall on Erza's opposite side. The scream she had already been fighting against snuck past her lips as she fell to one knee, unable to maintain her upright position with an injury so close to vital arteries, she needed to keep pressure on it so she wouldn't bleed out.

"It seems that you can't even keep up with my attacks, what a shame, I had expected more from a mage of your reputation." He crossed his arms over his chest, while his face broke out into a Cheshire cat like grin. His eyes sparkled with the thrill of taking the upper hand in a battle, he was obviously enjoying bating the red head, and from the light stain of pink on her cheeks he let himself assume that he was accomplishing his goal.

Erza felt her pulse quicken with anger, her mind becoming slightly clouded by rage. Who did he think he was, to slander her guild directly to her face? This man had made the ultimate mistake, and Erza would see him hanged for his choice of insults.

"You bastard, come here and I'll teach you the wrath of Fairy Tail!" She hissed through gritted teeth. The last attack had cut nearly deep enough to affect her balance, and Erza found she was having difficulty putting weight on it, even with the extra pressure she was applying to the wound. Yet she would never allow herself to die while on her knees in the face of an advocacy; she pushed herself up using the hilt of one of her swords as a crutch. The bleeding had increased with the lack of pressure, and she knew that if she didn't do something about it quickly that she would lose consciousness within a matter of minutes. With all factors considered Erza requiped into her flame empress's armor.

"Flame armor is it? Now, now Erza, what do you intend to do, burn something you can't even see?" The man cackled, but Erza paid him no mind, igniting her sword and pressing it to the open wound on her thigh. She let out a shriek of pain once again, breathing heavily but smiling once she had successfully stopped the bleeding. The laughter died away, as his face twisted in disbelief.

"I said come here." She put her hand up and motioned for him to come over to her. The man backed away slowly, finally feeling the fear that the Great Titania was said to strike into the hearts of all her opponents. Erza watched as he inched backward into the shadows, in a vain attempt to hide his own shaking limbs.

"I don't think that is a good idea, I prefer to fight you from here." His voice trembled, which was music to Erza's ears. She had finally taken the upper hand in the psychological battle; now all that was left was to figure out what he was using to attack her with such speed and precision.

* * *

><p>Lucy straightened her suit jacket as she stood back up to walk to the podium once more. Levy was only a heartbeat behind her, ready with a clip board and several official documents. The two took a few moments to look around the room where the Wizard saints as well as many officers of the counsel's advisers and most of the higher ups of the rune knights were still sitting in their seats. An air of boredom floated in a cloud of stale feelings that made Lucy want to choke.<p>

"Your time has come and gone. Now give me your answer." Lucy held herself in a way that showed she meant every word she had spoken.

Over the seven years of their absence many things had changed, and that included the counsel itself. Lucy remembered her many run-ins with the counsel's dogs, the rune knights, who she did not care for personally. They had taken Jellal and imprisoned him for so many years, without even a proper trial. It was disgusting that they would even consider themselves a governing body when they only fought to protect their own hides.

The group of mages who sat before her right at that moment had no want to keep the balance of their world; all they wanted was to make themselves more powerful, more relevant. They were willing to do just about anything to achieve their individual goals, forsaking those they were sworn to govern over. The whole situation made her sick to her stomach.

She was actually surprised when a small group made their way over to where she and Levy were waiting, documents in hand.

"This is what needs to happen; the universe is finally giving us a way to fix the corruption. Thank you, child, for giving us fair judgment, and hope." The old man who had been aware of the prophecy handed Lucy his papers with a wary smile.

"I know that you didn't agree with the decisions that were made, please stay for a while longer there are still things I would like you to see. I promise they will be worth your time." Lucy gave him a sweet smile that he returned. The old mage patted her hand affectionately before turning to sit in one of the chairs that sat behind Levy.

Levy wasn't sure what her friend was planning by setting up an area behind them, but there must have been a reason that the number of chairs directly coincided with the number of mages who had come forward of their own volition. Lucy handed the paper over to Levy with a small smile.

"Mark a large S on his papers please." She whispered before turning back to the next in line who gave her his papers with a look of embarrassment. Lucy followed the same routine, sending the slightly younger gentleman to take his seat behind her. She continued until there was no one left, and the seats she had set aside were all full.

"This is you're last opportunity to handle this peacefully." Levy called to the mages who remained in their original seats. "If you refuse then Lady Lucy will take your resignations by force." There was a loud scoff from the back where the arrogant young mage was still seated. He had thrown his arms behind his head, with his heels resting on the counter.

"I would like to see you try." Levy couldn't even keep up with the events that followed. In the blink of an eye Lucy had disappeared from her place, and reappeared standing on the counter in front of the arrogant man. She had drawn her sword; it was positioned directly at his Adams apple. Her light brown eyes were filled with anger as she inched the blade closer to the man's throat.

"I would reconsider your choice of words when dealing with her Majesty, you see she had a tendency to act like her husband, you might remember him as the Salamander of Fairy Tail. In any case she will oblige you if you insist that she forces you to hand over your resignation." Levy smiled to herself, knowing that before her awakening Lucy would never have done something this bold. Her friend had always been a little forward, but never this aggressive.

Though it wasn't the time for romantic fantasies, Levy found that she just couldn't help thinking how perfect her friends were for each other, strong, brave, and loyal to a fault. She couldn't help the sigh that snuck passed her lips. She shook her head to get her mind back to the present.

The man tensed under the pressure of Lucy's glare. "As I said, this is your last chance." Not a soul moved at her threat, which she had anticipated. "It's time to show you the powers of the Celestial Court." The moment the words left her lips the hall was filled with small clouds of smoke, revealing some of Lucy's most powerful friends from the spirit realm.

"You're Majesty." Dozens of spirits bowed in her direction, as they called out to her. Lucy let her mouth curl into a satisfied smirk while her mind roamed the thoughts of those who previously would not bend to her will.

"How is this possible?" One shouted out, Lucy turned her head to look at the female mage who had her hands woven through her course gray hair. A humorless laugh echoed from close by.

"You dare to question our Queen?" But of course the voice belonged to a member of her personal guard. Vulpi narrowed his clear blue eyes at the woman, his tail swishing in even strokes to keep himself calm. Lucy was very aware that if at any point his tail were to become still she would need to intervene, it was an outward sign that he had lost his self-control.

"Who the hell are you?" The woman nearly snarled as she looked over his golden locks and orange ears. Vulpi allowed her to make her observations before answering her question.

"I am Vulpecula, the Celestial Fox spirit, and a member of the Queen's Royal Guard." Vulpi stuffed his hands into the pockets of his suite pants, his demeanor changing to his normally playful mood.

"We are here to carry out the will of our master, and friend." Lupus added with a wide toothy grin while dancing on the bar, she didn't care that the old mages were eyeing her just as suspiciously as the old woman had done to the fox.

"Lucy-nee has asked you all for something, and I would suggest you give her what she wants before she gets angry." Lynx folded his arms over his chest with a smug grin.

"Do you really think this will scare them?" The arrogant mage who was still pinned at the business end of Lucy's sword asked with a raised brow.

"You must be very brave, or extremely stupid." Lucy growled while preparing to drive her point home; she put enough pressure to draw blood from his delicate looking porcelain neck. Her action brought a shriek of fear from her captive. "In case you didn't understand what is going on, I have now cut through your thought barrier. You see this is no ordinary sword; my celestial blade can cut anything I will it to. Your weak barrier is no match for my strength." The hall echoed with whispers and claps from the spirits.

"I warned you not to make her angry~~!" Lynx sang while making his way over to stand by Levy. "They never listen do they?" He smiled in the blue haired mage's direction.

"No Lynx, I suppose they don't." Levy could no longer fight back the giggle of amusement that bubbled up in response to his question.

"Your chance has now come and gone. You are hereby under arrest by order of the Celestial court." With a flick of her wrist Lucy incased the mages in her most powerful spirit boxes. "You are all to be confined till the time when you surrender your titles. Please do keep a close watch on them Vulpi, Lynx, and Lupus. I'm counting on you all to handle this for me." Lucy drew back her sword through the barrier with a wicked smile. It vanished in a glimmer of gold stars when she turned to the original mages who had obeyed her orders. Her smile softened as she made her way back to them.

* * *

><p>Laxus looked up at the building which held a slightly modified version of their beloved Fairy Tail emblem. It sickened the young man that over their seven year absence his father had been able to establish his guild as official. He knew very well that his father wanted only one thing, and that was the destruction of Makarov's guild. Laxus knew that the humiliation of being ranked last would never be enough to satisfy his father's burning need to destroy his grandfather's legacy. No Ivan Dreyar wanted to completely destroy everything about Fairy Tail.<p>

"Are you sure you can do this?" A cold voice of reason called from over the Lightning mages shoulder. Gray trained his eyes on the older mage, carefully observing every move he made. It was true that some of the guild members were still wary of the Master's grandson after what had happened so very long ago, and Laxus was not a naive child who expected to be forgiven so easily, this was to be expected.

"As far as I'm concerned that man is no longer my father." Laxus held eye contact with the ice mage so that his full conviction would come across.

"Now, now boys, let's play nice. We have a job to do." Loke grabbed onto each of their shoulders with a bright smile.

"Loke is right; you shouldn't be questioning Laxus right now." Mira smiled sweetly as she passed her companions, heading for the narrow walkway that was cut into the side of the mountain face.

"Let's get a move on before we are spotted." Laxus smirked at Gray who nodded his agreement. The group of four tried their best to mask their presence while they advanced on the guilds main hall. It was emotionally exhausting to even think about facing down his old man, but Laxus knew he needed to do just that. A little chat with Gajeel had given him all the motivation he needed.

* * *

><p><em><strong>::The day before Natsu's Coronation::<strong>_

"_So what you're saying is that your father forced your hand to make sure you would kill him?" It took a lot to surprise the oldest of their colony, but at that moment Laxus couldn't quite find a proper way to respond to what Gajeel had told him. Repeating the facts seemed like a good way to make sure he had at least heard the dark and brooding young man correctly. _

"_I can't know for certain, but I believe that was his intention." Gajeel seemed a bit distant, showing that he was still not completely comfortable with the situation, or speaking openly about what had transpired. "Natsu and Igneel seemed to already know, that should be enough affirmation for me. I just wish it didn't have to be that way." Laxus raised a brow in confusion._

"_Um, you were in a fight to the death with a DRAGON… how else was it supposed to go?" Gajeel simply captured Laxus cool steely blue eyes with his piercing rubies, trying to convey how it felt to end the live of the person who made you who you were. How taking the life of someone who had once been your whole world ripped at your heart, and dyed your soul in inky black guilt. _

"_I am the last now. It was my duty as the son of Metalicanna to be the one to end his life. At least that is what I was told. It seems that the tradition in the iron dragon breed is to kill your master when the time comes that there is nothing left for you to learn." Gajeel released Laxus from his gaze, letting his head fall back against the wall behind his bed. _

"_Is that what will happen with Natsu and Igneel too?" Laxus couldn't stop the words as they came tumbling out his mouth. He didn't want to see his family go through any more pain, and from the way Gajeel was acting, this dragon tradition did nothing but cause it._

"_They are fire dragons, so who's to say what will happen between them." Gajeel's words hung in the air for a long while, neither male willing to comment on the subject any further. The sun was still as bright as ever, but they knew that it was about time to sleep for the night. Gajeel sank down on the bed, grabbing a pillow to block out the sun. _

"_One day I want to have a match with my father too." Gajeel rolled over to see the blonde with his head in his hands, shaking slightly. "I don't know if I'll be able to take his life, but from what Lucy and I discussed, he has done nothing but terrible things to us our entire lives. Gramps and the others are more of a family to me now than he ever was. I want to finally be free of him." It was rare to see Laxus in such a vulnerable state, and even more so to hear him speak of his own weaknesses out loud. Gajeel knew in that moment that everything had changed, everyone had changed. _

"_One day you will be able to show him up, and when that day comes we will toast to your victory."_

* * *

><p>"I will destroy you Ivan." Laxus muttered to himself with clenched fists. It only took them a few more minutes before they were able to conceal themselves in the brush under the balcony of the master's quarters. Mira was grateful that Gajeel had been acting as a double agent for the master; it gave them the advantage of knowing the lay out of the guild in advance. It was a shame that the iron dragon slayer wouldn't be joining them, but they knew that Natsu wanted him for back up, as well as company while they were separated from their mates.<p>

Mira pulled out a rough sketch that Lucy and Gajeel had passed over before leaving for their different destinations. Navigation had been left up to the only female of their group, in the hopes that the map wouldn't get lost (with Gray's stripping habit) singed by Laxus or completely misplaced by Loke on the off chance he spotted a female who was more appealing that Aries or Lucy. Mira sighed to herself, why was she with this rag tag bunch again?

"This is it. On the count of three we storm the place, but remember Ivan is mine." Laxus looked around to his three companions who all nodded in agreement.

"Let's do this."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys Sorry for the late update, but I had some important sisterly things to take care of. Thanks to everyone who is still reading, even though I am aware it is very few of you at this point. I will still try my best to have this posted Every Saturday till it is finished. As always those who reviewed, YOU ARE THE BEST!<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**_This is a re-upload, I made some minor changes, so please be honest with how you feel about them. Thank you for your continued support, I'm going to try my best to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion!_**

Chapter 14: It ends here

"I will defeat you, for the sake of my guild, and for the sake of my family." Laxus looked at the dark haired man who was currently laughing in his face. The lightning mage shook slightly, his hands clenched at his sides, he still feared the man who had raised him, he still coward in his very presence. Years of hurt and loneliness flooded the lightning mage's mind as he watched his cold hearted father laugh at his bold statement.

"So you think you can defeat me now **boy**?" Ivan Dreyar mocked his son with a dry laugh. "I've had even more time to get stronger while you were standing still, you don't even stand a chance." Laxus knew that the man standing in front of him was once ten times more powerful than he could ever hope to be, but after becoming a true dragon slayer, he wondered if it was still the truth. He was eager to put it to the test. His ambition combated the fear that had gripped his heart up to this point, he remembered his teacher, and a crooked smile came to his face.

"I don't know if I'll be able to do anything against a monster like you to be honest, but I know that I have to try. You are the reason Lucy had to go into hiding right after her mother died, you are the person who made my life hell for so many years. I can't let you get away with that, nor for all the times you've sold Fairy Tail out for profit. I am here to exact my pound of flesh from you, Ivan!" Laxus held himself as tall as he could, trying to physically show that he wouldn't back down.

"It looks to me like the little puppy is trying to pick a fight with the big dogs." Ivan let out a deep laugh that only angered Laxus further. Ivan didn't even move from his high back chair at the challenge, and Laxus knew immediately that he was being underestimated.

"I'm not the same weak little boy you left behind, Ivan. I've grown stronger over the years, and I'm ready to show you that. I don't even need this stupid lycrima that you implanted in me anymore!" The sparks of Laxus's emotions jumped off his skin erratically. The glow of his magic increased with his anger, eventually bathing the whole room in an eerie yellow light.

"Well then, if you don't need it, I will take it from you. That small crystal is worth a fortune you know." Iron cuffs shot out of the wall clasping around Laxus's wrists in an attempt to restrain him, one more for his ankles came from the floor. Ivan laughed loudly, spouting off various insults at his son, till he caught sight of the smile that was steadily taking over his son's face.

"Metal chains, Ivan? Do you think this will stop me, a lightning mage?" The humor in the young man's voice set his father's nerves on edge. For the first time in Laxus's life, he saw what he would describe as a ghost of fear flash in the old man's dark eyes. It sent a shiver of delight up his spine, causing his smile to grow a little crueler. It didn't take much with his new found powers, breaking the shackles had become mere child's play for the lightning mage.

Laxus didn't discard the broken chains, not just yet, instead he took one in each hand swinging them around his head, picking up speed as time ticked by.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ivan looked nervous under the penetrating stare of his only son.

"I want answers before I put you through a world of hell. If you were as smart as Gramps you would have used mage's cuffs, that way I couldn't fight back, but it looks like your still out of his league." Laxus released the chains, after infusing them with a lightning charge that would temporarily paralyze his victim. Laxus watched his father fall to the ground; his body twitching slightly, his eyes wide with disbelief at the sheer power in Laxus's attack.

"W-W-What are you?" Ivan stammered.

"Now now old man, I'm the one asking the questions here." Laxus cracked his knuckles loudly. "First you're going to tell me why you had Lucy's family attacked, and secondly you're going to tell me why you had our teacher killed."

The howls of pain from the Master of Raven tail could be heard echoing through the whole place, followed shortly by a ghoulish like cackle from his son at the fact that he had so easily brought his father to his knees.

Mira and the others took a moment to listen to the damage Laxus was inflicting on his father with devious smiles. It was a personal victory for Laxus, but the whole guild would celebrate his triumph when they returned home.

"It looks like your Master has his hands full there." Gray shouted to the red haired woman he was going up against. Her eyes were already unusually wide, but Gray noticed they seemed to grow wider at the sound of Ivan's screams. She had begun to shake slightly, whether in fear, or anger Gray wasn't sure, but it really didn't matter so long as he was able to defeat her in the end.

"Master can handle his worthless son." She hissed while attacking Gray from the side. It was an obvious attack and Gray didn't have trouble dodging.

"Watch you're back, she is a manipulator!" Loki called out over his shoulder. His warning was only a moment too late. Gray felt long threads tighten around his boots before he was hoisted up in the air. The red head woman cackled, as a large grin broke out on her face.

It must have been a shock to the woman when Gray burst out laughing in response.

"Is this really the best you can do, at least give me a challenge?" Gray held his sides as he laughed, not even caring that he had left himself wide open.

"Cocky bastard!" She hissed sending another batch of deep red threads in his direction.

"Ice make: Cold Excalibur!" It only took Gray a moment to slice through her attack, and free himself from the bindings on his legs. "Why do I keep getting opponents like this? It doesn't seem fair that I always have to fight off a bunch of girls!" Gray called over his shoulder while Mira and Loki took on opponents of their own.

"We would be in trouble if you let Loki fight her; I bet he wouldn't be able to stay focused." Mira ground out, pushing back the advance of her foe.

"I resent that comment, this woman is a red head, and you should know I detest red heads!" Loki called before taking a hit square to the gut.

"Why didn't you take her Mira?" Gray hollered, freezing another batch of her hair attack. "Girls are better in cat fights you know!" The red head was obviously not enjoying being taunted by the three mages who had invaded their guild.

"Fairy tail is full of weaklings if this is the best force they could send!" She hissed trying to avoid Gray's advancing Ice make: Lance.

"She thinks we are squad A isn't that cute!" Loki called with a hearty laugh.

"Well Laxus and Mira are both S-class." Gray defended lazily.

"But Erza and the others are well above my level now." Mira admitted with a depressed sigh. "I'm merely a shell of the mage I once was."

"Enough talk!" the small golem like man hollered while advancing on Loki. Loki took another hit to the stomach, and landed on the floor laughing like a hyena.

"Man, Lucy hits harder than this midget!" He cackled.

"Lucy's whip is more dangerous than this chick's hair too." Gray laughed as he effectively trapped the female mage in his Ice Make: Geyser.

"Come here pretty boy let me take you down a few notches." Mira laughed, finally changing into her Satan soul. "I'll teach you the meaning of fear."

"We are finished here." The fairy tail mages smirked to see Laxus standing with the limp form of Ivan Dreyar hanging by the back of his coat in Laxus's right hand. "Surrender or I will let them fight you seriously, even if it's against Natsu's orders." The Raven tail mages growled before charging back into battle once more. "Well then you all know what to do, but remember not to kill them." Laxus walked through the crowd, slinging his unconscious father over his shoulder with an evil grin.

* * *

><p>"I'm glad to see that you do fear for your own safety, I was starting to get concerned for you." Erza took a slow and deliberate step forward; she watched her prey's eyes double in size as her balance steadily improved. "It is a shame to destroy such a talented mage, but orders are orders." Erza clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth as she advanced further.<p>

The man visibly flinched away from the iron clad female warrior who was steadily growing closer to him, his shadows were no longer providing him with any sense of security or even cover for that matter.

"Are you going to kill me now?" His voice trembled as Erza suspected the rest of him surely was. The man who had been known for brutally killing families of wealth businessmen, and politicians while maintaining anonymity was fearful for his own safety, and Erza laughed loudly at the irony of it all.

"Will you beg for me to spare your life?" Her laughter lightened her tone, allowing a moment of ease to envelope the nameless mage who was staring her twin blades in the face. A simple flick of Erza's wrist was all it would take to end the scum's life.

"I'll give you anything you want; I have money, lots of money!" He squeaked. Erza stopped laughing at his outcry, narrowing her eyes in on him. His whole being was shaking like a leaf; he must have been terrified to have someone actually stand up to him.

The idea struck Erza in a flash, and a devious smile crept back onto her ruby lips.

"Anything?" Erza watched his face closely, wondering how best to decide what to do with him.

"Yes, I'll do anything!" He fell to his knee, groveling at Erza's dark metal boots. She tossed him a pair of magic blocking cuffs and watched as he struggled with getting them around his wrists. He whimpered his thanks for her kindness, and she stopped dead and stared him directly in the eyes.

"This is not my kindness, it is the kindness of our fifth Master, she would never see a man killed for his crimes before he receives a proper trial." Erza grabbed the end on the shackle and began to lead her new charge through the wreckage that was once the third pillar of the underworld.

"What will you do with me now?" His once cold and emotionless eyes now clearly showed his worry.

"That is not for me to decide, you will stand trial under the Celestial court. Once a verdict is passed it will be decided how best to deal or dispose of you."

"All clear on this end Erza!" Bisca called as she shouldered her favorite riffle. She raised and eye brow at her mission partner, not really understanding why she had a man with his hands in irons.

"Good work Bisca, let's head back. I'll check in with the other teams once we reach the station." Erza made her way out of the building and straight to the train station. Once they were securely in a private compartment she pulled out her lacrima and pulled Gray up on the screen.

"How is it going on your end?" She asked abruptly.

"Ivan Dreyer is secured, but we had to take out a few of his subordinates in the process. The little bastards gave us a hard time when it came down to it." Gray laughed lightly, feeling proud that they had made it through with minimal injuries. "What about you?"

"I have a present for Lucy, I'll show you when you get to the rendezvous point. We are on our way there now." Erza laughed at the quizzical look on Gray's face, but she refused to give him any more details.

"Oh, well, I guess we'll see you in a few hours." Gray gave a quick salute before cutting off his transmission.

"Those things are really handy." Bisca giggled. "I should get Alzeck one when we get home." Erza nodded her agreement, and went about checking in on the other squads that were under her 'command'. It took a good hour to get the full report, but she was happy to know that everything had gone smoothly for the most part.

She felt that her work was just about finished, so she folded her arms over her chest, and simply sat there resting for the rest of the ride.

The brakes of the train screamed in protest as it came to a standstill. It was hot, and humid outside the train, and Bisca felt the need to tie her long green hair back to keep it from sticking to her neck. She was still amazed at how the weather could change with just a short train ride to the south no matter how many times she had made the trip beforehand.

She took a deep breath as she followed her red haired companion out the exit. She kept a firm grip on the bindings that were strapped around the wrists of her captive while she stepped out into the sun; following just a few sort meters behind in fearful silence was the once proud mage who had caused terror in the hearts of many influential men in their kingdom.

Bisca had agreed silently with Erza that the situation was indeed ironic. Here before them stood this legendary figure that even Erza had been excited to fight, and he was shaking in the shadows of two women. The situation was almost laughable.

The station wasn't particularly crowded so it was easy for the three to maneuver their belonging from the train. Erza easily ignored the several passersby that happened to stop to ogle at the trio, even if her two companions weren't as good at ignoring the awkward stares of strangers.

Erza made her way to an abandoned area where she knew they would not be disturbed, and was pleased to see that her presence alone ensured that it stayed that way. A smile crept across her face when she managed to get everything settled. Erza reached into her satchel that Lucy had been so gracious to lone her and pulled out her communication lacrima.

"Hello Erza." Levy greeted the red haired mage with a broad smile and Erza returned it with a wide smile of her own.

"Hello Levy, I hope you are doing well." Erza greeted her friend.

"Things are nothing but rainbows and butterflies here in Era." Sarcasm dripped from her every word. "Never mind that now though, how was your mission, did everything go smoothly?" Levy absently tapped her chin with the business end of her pen leaving a small ink blot behind. Bisca, who was looking over Erza's shoulder, chocked loudly to stifle her laughter.

"Yes, and we even brought you back a souvenir." Erza turned the screen so that Levy had a good view of their captive. "Would you be so kind as to let Lucy know that we have secured an S-class mage, and that I'm taking him to the designated area." Erza watched as the blue haired mage wrote something on the clip board she was holding before offering a kind smile.

"Make sure you secure him properly, we don't need any unfortunate accidents happening." The man, who had been referred to as Ace by Erza since his capture, trembled at the implications, unsure if she meant he would come to harm if he wasn't watched closely. He had hoped no one would try to exact vengeance on him during his incarceration, but that hope seemed fleeting at the words of the unfamiliar woman.

"I will personally guard him, wouldn't want anything to happen before he gets to stand trial." Bisca added with a sly smile.

"All my teams are present and accounted for, sector 2, 5, 10 and 15 are clear." Erza continued with her report, and proper smile gracing her lips.

"Alright, he on to the safe house, but be careful you two." Levy released the connection with a sigh, marking down the success of Erza's team.

Lucy, having over heard the conversation anyway laughed lightly. It was refreshing to see that someone had yielded to Erza, even offering to come back with her.

"So we have secured an S-class mage, this is good." Lucy took the opportunity to inform Natsu of the current situation. Laxus's team as well as Erza's were headed back to the safe point now, and Juvia had reported in a short while ago to let them know she was on her way to her last target.

No word had been received from Cana yet, but she knew it wouldn't be long before she was finished with her targets as well.

"The boys haven't found Acnoligia yet, but they are getting closer it seems." Lucy sighed in relief, she wanted to join the others once things were finished here, but there was no way of knowing if she would be able to do that now.

"Is it time to do some more persuading?" Levy set her clip board down for a moment looking back around the room where the golden spirit boxes still maintained their solid forms, trapping more than a dozen powerful mages.

"I'm good at that, can I help." Vulpi pleaded with bright shining sapphire eyes that sparkled with fake tears.

"Yes, I want to end this so that we can meet up with the others." Lucy flicked her wrist, releasing the angry mages from their confines. "You are the last who remain. I warn you now that if you do not submit to my will, I will be forced to take drastic measures."

Her comments were once more greeted with blank stares and anger from those who questioned her powers. It only took Lucy a moment to read the room around her. Both of her hands began to glow as she summoned her twin blades.

"There is no honor to be had here. Throw your selves at my feet and beg my forgiveness or by the original goddess I will strike you all down." Lucy's words carried a weight that made the whole room quake, further demonstrating her power as a living deity.

"I'll be damned if a child like you could strike me." With those few words all hell broke loose in the large room. Fire and wind sliced through the marble walls and pillars while swords and other magical items clashed loudly around different areas.

Lupus, Lynx, Levy, and Vulpi all provided back up in the largest mage fight since the last Great War. Lucy flipped gracefully through the crowd slashing and cutting here and there. It didn't take long to weed out the weaker ones, leaving behind three mages who held the current title of wizard saints.

"So this is the path you have chosen?" Lucy circled the three, preparing to get more serious about the main event.

"Who's to say, tomorrow brings a new future and with it a new choice of paths to follow." The man was tall and gray, and by his words Lucy may have mistaken him for a wise man, but by his heart she knew all too well that he was nothing but a fool.

"Tomorrow is an ever changing thing yes, but the choices we make today are what make those possible futures into something solid that we can hold onto." The man guarded against her swords with his staff while another mage attacked with vines that crept up her leg to hold her in place.

"You are but a child in this world, you could never truly understand the reason the world works this way." The mage hissed while Lucy deflected another blow from his staff.

"Age is not the only thing that gives a person understanding." Lucy slashed out with her sword several times more leaving the old mage's staff in a pile of splinters at their feet. "I have seen more suffering than I care for, and I will be the one who stops it." Time began to slow while Lucy formed her Astrim Pulvuis Ingram.

Countless numbers of golden spheres danced around the room poised just meters away from her opponents. Levy watched with wide eyes unable to move out of the range of fire, slowly she marked where her allies were in the room. If it could have her jaw would have dropped to the floor at the sight. It all happened in a fraction of a second and when it was over she and Lucy were the only ones left standing.

Lucy had forced the spirits back into the spirit world before she released the time stop, and the orb that was just a few inches from Levy had gone right over her shoulder to hit a mage that was attacking from behind. Lucy's strength had grown exponentially while they were in the Dragon's Lair, but then again Levy had been holding her own against the over whelming forces of the three Wizard saints.

Levy watched as Lucy's swords faded away, her friend's face was set in a deep frown as she looked over the fallen mages.

"You did what had to be done." Levy's voice was shaky to her own ears, she didn't want to admit it out loud, but for a moment she was afraid that Lucy was going to hit her with the magical explosion as well as the spirits.

"I know, but I wish that it didn't have to get to this point. The darkness in their hearts was just rooted too deep for me to fix them." Lucy wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, Levy looked at her friend carefully, Lucy was deathly pale, and immediately the blue haired mage knew something wasn't right. Levy quickly grabbed her clipboard and the stack of papers that were waiting on the podium and ran to catch up to Lucy.

They made their way across the building to a small room that was being used as the safe house for the council members who remained.

"All of the survivors are to be imprisoned where Jellal was being held. Once that is finished Libra will help you select their replacements. I expect you all to remember what has happened here, and know that the true rulers have returned to bring peace back to your world." Libra came to stand next to the eldest of the remaining mages, who Lucy had sent away from the imprisonment room; she offered a warm smile and led the old man out of the room.

Levy gave a small smile to her friend, glad that this portion of their mission was finally over. It happened in a fraction of a second, Lucy's eyes dilated, and her whole body went limp. She would have hit the ground had it not been for Vulpi who appeared just in time.

"Stupid girl." He muttered pulling her up on his back.

"Vulpi, what's going on?" Levy was panicking at this point, because Lucy didn't look like she was breathing anymore.

"She used too much magic, and forced herself back into the spirit world." Vulpi explained, heading for the exit.

"Levy we need to freeze her, until her magic returns, can you do that?" Levy took a deep breath and nodded her head, she thought for a moment about what spell would be best, and finally decided on one that resembled the one Gray had used to freeze Lucy the first time.

"Put her down so I don't freeze you with her." Vulpi wanted to laugh at the idea that the little mage could freeze a powerful spirit like him, but the look in her eyes chased away any humor he had previously felt.

"Do your thing." He laid her on the floor, folding her arms gently over her chest.

"I hope this works; I haven't used a lot of ice spells." Levy crossed her fingers as she concentrated on the runes she needed for her spell.

_**I'm working on the next chapter, but I can't promise it will be up in a week like my other series, this one is much harder to write... but I will do my best for you all!**_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Waking from the pain

_The bitter blackness surrounded her pulling her deeper with every passing second. Her whole being hurt as though she had been ripped to shreds then slowly stitched back together with not so much as a localized __anesthetic to offer her a temporary reprieve from the pain. She struggled against the agony, knowing somewhere inside her heart that if she didn't open her eyes soon she may never be able to again._

_She cried out in the blackness while the searing pain seeped into her head, making all coherent thought simply impossible. She was losing the fight and she knew there was nothing she could do, it felt as all hope was lost and she found herself balling into the fetal position in one last futile effort to keep her body in one piece. _

_Someone save me…_

_Someone take me home._

* * *

><p>Slowly, Lucy cracked an eye open. The room she was being kept in was dark, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. The only light filtered in through the wide, open air windows, casting pools of crystal blue light across the floor. Her confusion was only outmatched by the pain in her extremities, and she inhaled deeply trying to fight back the tears that were pooling in the corners of her eyes as a result.<p>

It took several minutes, but once she had a good handle on the pain she looked around more thoroughly. Lucy found herself lying amongst the soft sheets of an oversized bed completely lost as to what had happened to her. The last thing she remembered was smiling at Levy telling her that their business in Era was finally done, and then the world went black. She tried desperately to make the rest come back to her, but it only caused her head to pound angrily in response.

"Lucy-nee, thank goodness, you're finally awake! I was starting to get scared!" Lucy looked to her left, and then to her right, and suddenly she felt panicked. Pain shot through her whole body when she tried to get up, and she found two strong hands pushing her back down.

"Stupid girl, don't try to move yet." Lucy wasn't sure what to make of this, but somehow she was facing her personal guard, minus Loki. Even though she had forced them back into the spirit world, yes, she had forced them back while simultaneously attacking three of the ten wizard saints. Lucy took a closer look around, and realized exactly where she was.

"What happened, why am I here? I'm supposed to be in Era not the spirit realm." Lucy felt her head throb painfully as she pushed herself up to rest on her elbows.

"You drained your magic power so much that we had to pull you out of your human vessel or you would have died." Lupus answered sadly, tears streaming freely down her soft porcelain skin.

"What about my body, is it damaged?" Lucy felt a shiver of panic run through her as she imagined Levy crying over her cold, seemingly dead, body lying there on the ground.

"She froze you and I helped her take you back to the hotel. It'll be safe for now, so long as she keeps you frozen till your magic recovers." Vulpi ruffled her hair playfully. "I need to go explain things to your husband, because it seems he doesn't have a communication lacrima." Before Lucy could protest, Vulpi had vanished.

"I could have done that through our link." Lucy muttered.

"Lucy-nee, I'm afraid your magic is so low right now that you can't use your link, not yet anyway." Lynx informed folding his ears back in shame.

"We weren't enough help, and you had to use that high level spell with an already depleted supply! This is our entire fault; you could have died because of our carelessness!" Lupus cried, throwing herself across Lucy's bed. Lucy felt a nagging at the back of her mind for her miscalculation, she had used far more magic with the spirit boxes than she had originally planned, and it had left her in a bind later in the battle.

"It's ok Lupus, I'll be fine soon. I just need to rest a bit." Lucy laid a hand on the spirit's dark hair, stroking it softly in an attempt to comfort her small friend.

"Lupus, it's time to let Lucy-nee sleep." Lynx chided, attempting to pull the wolf spirit from Lucy's side. He was doing a better job of hiding the fact that he two had been crying before the blonde had woken from her long slumber, but Lucy could hear it in his voice clearly.

"Stay with me till I get my strength back." Lucy asked quietly, pulling the two spirits down into a hug. "Please, I don't want to be alone."

* * *

><p>Natsu was panicking, he couldn't feel Lucy, and he couldn't hear her no matter how many times he called out to her. It had already been almost half an hour since he had lost contact, and he was beside himself with worry. There was no reason for Lucy to block contact while they were on such an important mission. He began to pace back and forth, not knowing if he could move forward until he heard from her.<p>

"Man you need to calm down, Lucy is too strong to have let something take her out like this, so be patient she'll contact you soon." Gajeel tried his hardest to get through to Natsu, but it was no use. Not that he could blame the poor guy, Natsu had become dependent on their link to keep in contact no matter how far apart they were. Gajeel truly envied that ability, but he knew that the perk came with a much higher price than he and Levy were willing to pay.

The only thing that managed to get Natsu's attention was when Vulpi walked out of a cloud of golden smoke with down cast eyes. The nervous smile on the fox's face sent Natsu's stomach to his boots. Immediately Natsu knew something had gone wrong, Vulpi was to quiet, and his ears were folded flat against his skull.

"Where is she?" He growled marching up to the spirit and holding him up by the color of his suit. This was all the confirmation he needed, Vulpi was refusing to look him in the eyes, even though the spirit was never reserved. Vulpi spoke his mind no matter the situation, and he never showed fear in the face of any situation, not even when Lucy had sliced him up in her moment of weakness so very long ago.

"She is safe." Vulpi answered quietly.

"Safe where?" Natsu snapped.

"Well she is still in Era if you want to get technical… Levy is looking after her body for now." Vulpi braced himself for the punch he knew he had coming.

"I knew I should have gone with her." Natsu scowled dropping the fox spirit on his rear, he could feel the overwhelming need to get his pent up frustration out, knowing if he waited much longer that he would do serious damage to the next thing he touched.

"Lucy took out three Wizard Saints with a single hit; she had already taken on more than a dozen S ranked mages just before hand, which left her magic dangerously low. We did what we had to; if I didn't act she would have died." Vulpi knew his words weren't going to settle the anger that was rising in the pink haired man who stood before him, trembling as he tried to hold his flames back. "We just have to wait for her magic to replenish in the spirit world and she'll be fine, I think." Vulpi rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"YOU THINK!" Natsu couldn't hold back anymore, his fist collided with a boulder only three inches from Vulpi's head, leaving nothing but a pile of dust where it had been moments prior.

"This is unprecedented, we aren't sure if she is different from a regular spirit, so we are trying this. If we stood by and did nothing Lucy would be dead right now." Vulpi flinched at the enormous amount of heat that was radiating off of the man's body.

"Why can't I contact her?" Natsu had his anger just barely under control, he was literally seething.

"Her magic levels are still too low, give it another couple minutes and she should be able to contact you, but when I left she could barely lift her head. Remember that there is a huge time difference between our worlds, she should be fully recovered in an hour your time, and that is a generous statement. I bet she is already trying to move around." Vulpi shook with fear, knowing that Natsu took Lucy's safety very seriously, and anyone who was even partially responsible for hurting her would suffer by his hand.

"You need to go back then, do anything you can think of to help her regain her magic." The mage forced himself to sit on a boulder facing the spirit.

"Before I go, Levy wanted me to give this to you guys so she can contact you. She was very calm during the whole thing, but I doubt she is dealing with this as well now that she is alone." Vulpi tossed the communication device to Gajeel with a weak smile. "I'm going to watch over Lucy, I swear I won't let anything happen to her." Vulpi faded into stardust.

"Blondie took on three wizard saints at the same time…" Gajeel mused proudly.

"She shouldn't have taken them all on by herself that was reckless." Natsu sighed.

"She won, doesn't that count for something?" Gajeel sat down next to Natsu, punching him lightly in the side.

"But at what cost? Winning means nothing if she dies in the end." Natsu covered his face with his hand feeling the worry bubble up inside.

"Lucy is made of stronger stuff than that and you know it." Gajeel gripped the lacrima in one hand waiting for Natsu to calm down enough that he could call his own wife to make sure she was ok.

"She'll be fine, let's see how Levy is doing, I bet she's as worried if not more so than I am." Natsu let out an exasperated sigh looking down at the screen in his friend's hand.

Gajeel didn't have to be told twice, in an instant he had a connection to the sobbing script mage. It took a few minutes to calm her down enough to explain the situation to her fully. Apparently it was extremely difficult to keep Lucy's body frozen at the hot springs because of the temperature the rooms were kept at. That was the last straw for Natsu, he knew that Levy had been involved in the fight, and her color wasn't looking good either.

The two males silently agreed before they cut the connection with the worried blue haired mage. Natsu took the crystal key off the chain on his neck and slashed it though the air creating a door way. He had only done this a few times, and Lucy had been there to instruct him exactly how to make the gate way stable, but he didn't have time to worry about whether he was doing it properly or not.

A soft golden light filled the space in front of him and the two men made their way through; they walked for a few minutes, both concentrating on their destination. When they finally saw the opening, Natsu could feel his face fall. Lucy was incased in ice the same as she had been when she had first experience the explosion of her magic so very long ago.

Natsu had sworn to himself that he would never let something this drastic happen to her ever again, but here she was, the ice melting quicker than the script mage could conjure. His heart hurt at the sight, and all he wanted to do was fix it. Levy was sobbing as she muttered words from a language he didn't know, she looked on the verge of collapsing, but she was still doing everything in her power to protect her friend.

"You've done a good job Levy. I'll take over from here, you need some rest." Natsu patted her head gently as he walked past her to examine her handy work. He started to adjust the temperature of the room using his frost dragon techniques, he needed to focus, because this was the opposite of his original magic and it took a hell of a lot more concentration than lighting or even earth magic. Slowly he was able to rebuild the ice shell around Lucy who lay as if sleeping.

Natsu was left alone, Gajeel understood that his companion need to do this, Lucy was family and that was more important than the stupid dragon for now. They could pick the chase back up once they were sure that Lucy was ok. For now he had his own fainted wife to attend to. She had barely made it to the doorway before she collapsed into his arms. He took her to the room that was connected to where Lucy was being kept, and laid Levy down so she could recover her strength in peace.

* * *

><p>Lucy sighed as she listened to Vulpi go on and on about how much he disliked being a messenger, she rolled her eyes as he continued to explain how it was bad for his health.<p>

"You talk too much." Lupus growled folding her arms over her chest.

"Yeah can you just tell us what Master Natsu had to say." Lynx groaned putting his head in his hands.

"Nothing much really… just that Lucy was being reckless and that I'm to protect her with my life, the usual." Vulpi shrugged settling himself into a chair. Lucy already looked so much better; so he assumed that his theory was right, she was gaining her strength back ten times quicker in the spirit realm. The sly fox smiled inwardly knowing he had made the right move, even without the defective lion around to tell him what to do.

"Was that all?" Lynx asked, a brow raised as the fox spirit fidgeted.

"The rest is nothing but minor details, they know that Levy has charge of Lucy's body and that was all I really needed to get across." The fox spirit shivered at the memory of the boulder that was blasted into particles with a single hit from the irate husband of his Master. He decided to keep that to himself, to save face more than anything else.

"Well I suppose I should be a good little girl and rest up, I'm still feeling tired even if I've done nothing but sleep since I got here." Lucy laid her head back on the pillow, letting her eyes close once more. She felt as though when she woke again, that she would be strong enough to at least contact Natsu and let him know that he didn't need to worry. Everything was under control, and she was sure that in a few more hours she would be heading home to finish everything up.

* * *

><p>Levy slipped back into the room feeling slightly guilt at hearing Natsu's quiet conversation with the women who was in cased in ice. She couldn't believe that he had found a way to come here to be by her side even though they had been half way across the continent at that point. She watched in awe as the dragon slayer released another blast of chilled air into the room, bringing goose bumps to the script mage's exposed arms.<p>

"I know you're there Levy." Levy froze on the spot; how could she forget that Natsu could probably smell her before she even entered the room? "Did you need something?" Natsu turned his gaze to the blue haired mage that looked like she was about to burst into tears again.

"It's my fault." Levy squeaked as she sank down to the floor next to Natsu.

"It's no one's fault. Lucy is going to be fine; she just needs to rest in the spirit world for a little while." Natsu laid a comforting hand on her messy blue hair and ruffled it playfully. "Sometimes I wonder how you guys put up with me when I acted like this all the time." He chuckled, remembering that for a majority of his life **he** was the one who rushed into battles that were never in his favor, and now Lucy had picked up on his insane trait. He wished that she had taken **any **one of his other annoying traits instead of this one.

"You always came home, even if you were in bandages, we trusted that you would always come back in mostly one piece." Levy hiccuped as a result of trying to laugh and cry at the same time.

"We'll that's good to know." Natsu rolled his eyes; his own nerves were frayed beyond belief, but he knew that Levy was much worse at handling this type of situation. He wanted to lighten her mood if only by a little with his goofy antics.

"If I would have realized that she sent the spirits back sooner, I could have done something to help her, I know I could have." Levy sighed.

"She used the Astros Pulvis Ingrum didn't she?" Natsu tilted his head with a half-smile on his lips.

"Um, is that the one that uses the highly explosive masses of energy that can attack multiple targets all at once?" Levy wasn't sure what the names of Lucy's techniques were, but she would never forget what it looked like.

"Yep, she slows time itself as she's gathering the magic energy to condense it into several spheres. When she releases time, the energy gets shot at the target like a bullet of out a rapid firing gun." Natsu watched as the words clicked in the script mages brain.

"I get it; it's like a magic gun so that's why she calls it the Star Dust Machine gun. That was the attack she used on Bastion right?" Natsu visibly bristled at the name that no one had dared to mention in months. No one knew where the guy had disappeared to, and they all had a sinking suspicion that the dreams Lucy had been suffering from revolved around the red hair man who had claimed he would one day take Lucy back.

"You wouldn't have been able to stop her because you were also affected by her time stop." Natsu knew it was little conciliation to know that detail, but he also knew that every little bit would help convince his friend that she wasn't responsible for Lucy's rash actions. No one but Lucy was responsible for her recklessness.

The two settled into a comfortable silence, just watching over the blonde who seemed to be sleeping peacefully inside a glass case. The scratches along her arms and face were the only real reminder that Lucy had been in a duel that had nearly taken her life. After a while Levy curled up on the floor, giving into her need for sleep. Natsu watched her now peaceful face, overwhelmed with how grateful he was that Lucy had such amazing friends, he knew that she was well cared for even when he couldn't be the one providing that service.

There was a knock at the door before Gajeel came back inside, frowning slightly at the sight of his wife on the cold floor. Natsu noticed the lacrima that was shining in his left hand and shot a quizzical look, wondering who he had been speaking to.

"Erza wanted to talk to Lucy." He tossed the screen over to Natsu before picking Levy up and carrying her back to her room.

"Lucy can't come to the screen right now, can I take a message?" Natsu let the sarcasm slide off his tongue like it was completely natural for him to be acting cool and collected like this.

"Why are you and Gajeel there, you're supposed to be tracking down the Dragon, is Elfman there too?" Natsu momentarily panicked, he had forgotten all about the eldest Strauss sibling in his haste to get to Lucy's side.

"We'll be going back as soon as Lucy is up and moving again." Natsu answered quickly. He didn't want Mira to find out that he had unintentionally left her little brother behind. "How is everything on your end?"

"First things first, tell me what is wrong with Lucy, Levy said everything was going fine just a few hours ago." Erza was too smart for her own good sometimes.

"She exhausted herself during the battle, but she'll be fine soon. Tell me about things on your end." Erza gave a look that he knew meant she wasn't satisfied by his explanation, but she couldn't do anything about it through the screen.

"All groups are present and accounted for, we've received the report from our supporters, and it seems that the only ones who we don't have accounted for are Wendy's party." Erza seemed worried that Wendy had a completely separate mission that she knew nothing about.

"Wendy will be fine, remember she has Romeo and Happy with her." Natsu gave her a goofy grin that he knew would calm her nerves a bit.

"So all that's left is to find and destroy the Black Dragon, and Zeref." Erza made it sound like a walk in the park, when it was proving to be a royal pain in the ass in reality.

"Yep, we will handle the rest for now. You can start sending groups of three back to the guild, just make sure not to make it look to suspicious. We have control of the council, but that news won't have spread all the way out there yet." Erza nodded her agreement before breaking the connection. Natsu wished that he knew where Wendy was as well, but he couldn't tell Erza that not even he knew the whereabouts of his younger sister; she would skin him alive for sure.

"Alright, make sure to have Lucy contact me when she is able, I want to be able to tell Laxus she is doing ok." Natsu gave a reassuring smile and promised that when she was able that he would have her call. He couldn't wait till all of this was finished so they could go back to their 'normal' lives at the guild. Natsu turned back to his wife with a frown wondering just how long it would be until she was out of the ice this time around.

**A/N:: I'm sorry this has taken so long, I'm just kind of running on empty… If you want you can always message me and let me know what you think, it really does help me come up with ideas for where to go next. I'll be working on the next chapter, but it might be a while before it's up loaded.**


	16. Chapter 16

**So this has taken me F-o-r-e-v-e-r... Sorry! I'll be going back into it now that BoFW is over (silently crying for the end on my most popular fic)** **well in case any of you have forgotten where the story is I'll give you a quick summary.**

**Natsu is a half dragon, and the heir to the dragon king's thrown. Lucy is a half spirit and queen of the celestial realm. They got married at the end of the very first installment, after a whirlwind romance that leaves them both breathless. In book 2 Lucy learns that she is Master Makarov's granddaughter, and that she was well trained in preparation to bring an age old war to it final conclusion. **

**At the very end of the second book she faces off with a man who grew up with Lucy and Laxus. They face off in a decisive battle that Lucy wins. **

**Short there after the celestial mage begins a journey with the rest of their 'family' to the dragon king's lair. She begins to suffer from nightly premonitions that foretell a grave future for her and the rest of the mages, not just in Fiore, but in the whole of Earthland. Upon arriving in the Dragon King's lair, Natsu regains his memories, and latent powers as well. Two long years of training bring them to a place where they can face their final opponent, and return to Fairy Tail, where time has practically stood still. **

**Lucy and Natsu now face the last leg of their journey, and the most deadly of all their opponents, Zeref and the Black Dragon. Follow them now as we return to our story...**

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><p>Wendy looked out the window of the train, her stomach knotting uncomfortably as the vehicle lurched to a stop. She had to say that she never liked trains but this trip was proving to make her distaste for them grow even more profound.<p>

"It's about damn time." She hissed in annoyance as she grabbed her knapsack from under her seat. She made her way off the hard leather cushion and quickly motioned for her companions to follow her to the exit. There was a collective groan before the group joined the line of people who were waiting to exit the train. Wendy was exhausted, and she figured the others were reaching their limit as well, so she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Do you think we'll catch up to him here?" Romeo asked with a groan. They had already ridden to twelve different towns chasing rumors and phantoms of their goal, and the ever present sense of failure was beginning to bring down the team's morale. They had hit a break in the last town though; there was finally a scent trail for Wendy to follow. That was more than enough to lead them to this town out in the middle of nowhere. Charle had put in her efforts to divine a destination that they could use as a starting point for their search.

"It doesn't matter if we get him today or if it takes us a whole year; I'm not going home until I've given this bastard a piece of my mind!" Wendy's answer came out harsher than she had intended, though it was understandable when you considered that she had been tracking the man for over a month already and he kept evading her.

"We still have to be extra careful, don't forget Lucy's warning." Happy folded his arms over his chest, clearly offended by Wendy's harsh tone.

"Happy when did you become such a downer?" Romeo punched the blue exceed playfully in the shoulder, in an attempt to defuse the situation.

"Someone has to act like an adult, might as well be me." Happy huffed.

"He's here, I'm sure of it." Charle scowled at the blue cat who stared back with a small frown of his own.

"That's what you said last time, but did we find him there? No, no we didn't." Happy chided, glaring at the white cat that was walking beside him.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to see a person you don't know? It's extremely difficult to pin this man down!" Charle huffed as she turned her gaze away.

"Just be quiet the two of you, all this fighting is giving me a head ache." Wendy hissed. "I want to get off this god forsaken contraption and get on with our mission, got it?" Everyone present nodded their heads, except Lily who simply snickered quietly as he followed the others until they were finally able to exit the vehicle.

It wasn't long before they found the tavern that Charle had seen in her vision; it was a shabby looking building where the sign was hanging from one hinge. _This is the perfect place for a fugitive to blend in._ Wendy took a deep sniff of the air, and smiled, there were already faint traces of a scent she recognized. She motioned for her teammates to head inside, as she took up the rear of their party. Their presence was met with stares from the male patrons, as well as whispered conversations.

"This ain't no place for brats, go find a playground or something!" The bartender's gruff voice met Wendy's ears along with a mixed cheer of agreement from his patrons. Wendy was too tired and too angry to pay them any mind, so she marched right up to the man who was easily twice her size (in both height and girth) and grabbed the front of his shirt. This action effectively silenced the men who had voiced their opinion beforehand. She summoned a light wind having it swirl around her menacingly as she brought the man down to her eye level.

"Have you ever seen what a dragon slayer can do when they are really pissed off old man?" Wendy whispered in a low and dangerous voice. "I mean, you've heard the stories Fairy Tail's Dragon slayers, am I right?" The man begrudgingly nodded his head, which brought a twisted little smile to Wendy's face. "Good, now I need some information, if you don't want a personal demonstration, which I will be all too happy to give, if you refuse to cooperate. I suggest you spill your guts, before I lose patience and you lose your job." Happy couldn't suppress a giggle at seeing little Wendy act like her big brothers. It was such a huge change of character that it almost felt like an act, but Happy knew that this was no act, Wendy had been changed during their years of training in the dragon king's lair and this was the proof.

Wendy went into a barrage of questions that would help her learn where to start looking for their mystery man, hardly giving the larger man time to think. The bartender answered to the best of his ability, occasionally wiping sweat from his brow as he looked around the room for anyone who might save him from the crazy blue haired teenager. No one dared move from their seat, as Wendy allowed her magical presence to seep out in the most intimidating way she knew how.

After an hour, Wendy decided she was satisfied, throwing the man back behind the counter, muttering her thanks for his hard work. Once all of her companions were reassembled outside, Wendy briefed them on the information that she had gathered, and they came to an arrangement shortly after. Once a meeting time was set, the team broke apart so they could cover more ground in a shorter amount of time while keeping a low profile.

Wendy casually strolled down the street intently sniffing the air in an attempt to track down the phantom's scent, it was a long shot and she knew it, but she had to at least try. She had smelled it faintly in the pub, but as she got closer to the out skirts of town, the familiar scent became stronger. Wendy inhale with a vicious grin on her face, knowing that the trail was still extremely fresh. She pulled out a small crystal from her pocket and poured some of her magic into it.

It didn't take long for the other's to receive her signal, and soon they were all standing around the fountain in the center of town.

"The warehouse district, is that right?" Romeo quirked his eyebrow in disbelief as Wendy simply nodded in confirmation. "What the hell is a guy like that doing in an abandoned warehouse?"

"I'll be dammed if I know, but my nose never lies, he's there." Happy shuttered as he saw Wendy begin to crack her knuckles excitedly. "Let's get this bastard so we can go home." There was a collective nod before the group followed Wendy back to where their target was hiding.

Wendy was the first to reach the buildings, and instantly began to sniff out the target more thoroughly. It took her all of ten minutes before she signaled that she had him trapped. Romeo and Happy volunteered to take the back entrance Charle and Lily agreed that they would take one side entrance each. When the signals were sent out that all team members were in position ready for anything that could happen.

One swift kick took the door off its hinges, revealing the haggard looking man curled up under a pile of tattered old blankets. One deep breath was all she needed to confirm that this was the man she had been searching for. "Oi, it's time to get up and pay the piper old man." Wendy put her balled hands on her fists, holding back the urge to hall off and deck the man in the side of his head. Unseeing Amber eyes looked out from under the blanket in hopes of finding the intruder. Wendy watched as he wiped the sleep from them, focusing on her with an expression that clearly meant he was trying to decide if he had ever encountered her before.

"Who are you child?" The man's voice had grown gravely since last the blue haired mage had heard it, but it was still unmistakably his. For a moment Wendy caught herself wondering why Lucy was so frightened of this lousy looking man.

"I'm a messenger from Lucy," At the very mention of her name, the man's eyes began to glow with recognition. _That's the look I remember, now I can fight him seriously. _She couldn't fight the grin that spread across her face as the man got up, his hands balled into fists. Wendy watched with excitement as the man's face twisted up in anger.

"What message has the little witch send with you?" He all but growled his position shifting slightly into what Wendy assumed to be his ready stance for a serious fight. The very thought brought a shiver of pleasure up the young woman's spine, it had been ages since the last time she had engaged in a fight that was worth her time as well as serve to challenge her skills.

"She said to give you her regards before I beat you senseless." Wendy answered with glee. The man didn't wait for a proper invitation as he launched himself at the young woman, pulling swords from under his long coat. Wendy took pause for a moment, before using a trick she had learned from Lucy herself. Her hands hung at her sides with open palms a strong wind wrapped itself round her arms, circling down until it extended from her palms by a little over three feet. Wendy closed her grip, now holding to lethal blades that hissed angrily at her opponent. "You picked the wrong day to mess with me old man." Wendy cried as her blades came down heavily on her opponent's.

Hearing the commotion inside the warehouse, Romeo and the others decided to take a peak. The boy's mouth dropped at the sight of the blue haired girl, as she held her ground against a man who was at least two heads taller than she was. Happy smiled as he watched her skilled dance, thrusting and dodging all while keeping her eyes away from her opponent's. Lucy had been very clear about that, once they were in battle, no one was to look Bastion in the eyes.

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><p>Lucy could feel the vein in her forehead pulse angrily as she listened to the blonde spirit rant on and on about his particularly lively night of activities. She wanted nothing more than to throw a large pillow at his face <em>maybe he'll stop talking if his mouth is obstructed<em>, but she held herself back, knowing that she still owed him one for saving her life. Even Loke looked annoyed with the fox spirit, though Lucy knew that was a part of normal everyday life with those two.

"So, tell me Lucy, how are **you** feeling this fine morning?" The fox spirit stretched his arms over his head with a wide yawn before he settled his chin on one of his fists. Vulpi gave one of his infectious smiles as he looked the blonde over, Lucy's lip twitched but she managed to form a smile in return, before staring the fox down.

"I'm going home today." Vulpi's eyes widened at the statement. "Natsu's worried sick, and Levy is running on nothing but adrenaline." Lucy pushed back the covers, heading for the wardrobe. She knew that what she wore in her spirit state didn't affect her human vessel, but she didn't want to return in her silk pajamas.

"I suppose you regained contact with them then?" Vulpi paled a fraction, as the last encounter he had with his master's husband come rushing back to his mind. He gulped trying to release the sudden knot in his throat at the thought of the man being unsatisfied with Lucy's recovery. The last thing he wanted was to become a pile of ashes; he still had so much to do with his life, and so many women to seduce.

"Yes, it was late last night, and since my magic is back I see no more reason to stay." Lucy pulled on her suit leaving the top two buttons of her blouse undone. "I've been gone long enough." She silently called out for Natsu to open a gate on his side, so that she could come through right where he was. She muttered a farewell to her spirits. Lupus and Lynx had stayed silent up to this point, but once she said it was time they rushed over to give her a hug.

Lucy smiled down at the two of them, whispering softly that it wouldn't be long before they saw each other again, and that she would be counting on them when the time came. Both nodded and promised that they would do their best for their master.

Lucy patted their head and gave Vulpi a stern look before crossing the barrier back to Earthland.

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><p>"Lu-chan!" Levy sobbed throwing herself at the blonde spirit, tears streaming from her eyes. Lucy smiled softly as she returned the hug, trying to restrain a few tears of her own. "God, I was so worried!" Levy continued to sob into the woman's chest, refusing to release her friend from her iron grasp.<p>

"I'm sorry Levy-chan, I was being reckless and you had to suffer for my miscalculations." Lucy breathed. She watched over the blue haired woman's shoulder as her husband began releasing her body from its ice encasement, she knew it was a process that could take a while, and there were other things to take care of so she decided it was time to get moving.

"I need to get in touch with the others, where is the Communication lycima?" Lucy turned her attention to Gajeel who was holding the small crystal. The tall man made the short walk over to the spirit and handed over the item she had requested.

"Erza hasn't been told about any of this, we told her that you'd get in contact when you could." Lucy nodded; she didn't want Erza to know the particulars of what had happened either. Lucy was honestly embarrassed that she had miscalculated, and misjudged several of her opponents. The blonde took a deep breath, and prepared to connect to the Fairy Tail network of communication Lycrima. When she was sure that she had a solid one way connection she began her short speech.

"Congratulations to all of you on a job well done. Your part in this mission is now over, and I thank you all for everything you have done so far. I know most of you are back at the guild now, so have a tall one on me, Cana, and Cana I know you want something a little stronger, go right ahead. We are preparing for the final battle, so keep on your toes when you leave for missions guys. Please keep a close eye on Gramps as well, don't let him get too worked up. I know he's going to give you guys a hard time, so thanks in advance. Since this maybe the last time I talk to you all for a while I want to say thank you for trusting in me. You will never know how much your support means.

Lastly, Laxus I need you to bring our newest members to Era. Levy and I have done some remodeling, and I need the skills of an artist to clean up the mess we made. There is a messenger waiting for you at the counsel building. That is all for now, wish us good luck." Lucy cut the connection taking a moment to sit down on the floor. She looked over to Natsu to see that her body was only half way defrosted, and sighed.

"What does she mean by remodeling?" Gajeel asked quietly. Levy smirked, remembering that she hadn't told her husband the details of their whole mission; she had been much too distressed at the time.

"More than half the old counsel is in jail, and Lucy destroyed a large chunk of the main floor with her last attack." Levy wished her husband would have showed some form of surprise, but nothing registered on his face.

Lucy laughed at the exchange, between the two, as she waited for Natsu to complete his work. She took the time to search through their memories of the separate mission they had taken on and suddenly she wanted to smack herself in the face.

"You left Elfman behind, how is that even possible?" Lucy groaned.

"He was scouting ahead, and Flame brains panicked." Gajeel gave a rough barking laugh when Natsu visibly paled and tried to explain himself. By the time he had laid the entire story out, Lucy's body was finally ready for reattachment.

When the blonde opened her eyes a hiss of pain left her unintentionally. She quickly took stock of the open wound in her side and all the minimal scratches across her arms and legs.

"That one with the vines did a number on your face." Levy muttered as she pulled out a mirror for Lucy so she could see the damage for herself.

"Yeah, I have a feeling his vines were a portion of the reason I miscalculated. This is nothing though, I'll heal up in a day or two." Lucy handed back the mirror with a calm smile before seeing that the lycrima screen was lite up once more.

"Lucy, are you there?" A female voice called out, sounding extremely satisfied with herself. Lucy knew that voice very well, and she moved to pick up the screen with a warm smile.

"Hello there Wendy." Lucy grimaced slightly at the pain smiling caused the small lacerations around her mouth, but shock it off quickly as to not worry the rest of her companions.

"Lucy what happened to you?" The smaller blue haired teen asked gently.

"It's a long story Wendy, and it isn't important right now. So tell me why you're calling, I haven't heard from you in a month or so." Lucy watched as a devious smile lit up the young woman's features.

"Oh yes, I am happy to report that we got the bastard this morning; we were getting ready to head back with him and I wanted to know where you wanted me to put him." Wendy's eyes sparkled with sheer glee, since she had done her job just as she had been instructed.

"I knew I could count on you." Lucy smiled fondly at Wendy, taking in how much the girl had changed over the last few years. "I need you to bring him to Era. Make sure he is bound with magic depleting ropes. That is really, really important." Wendy agreed, and informed that she had everything under control now. Lucy told the young team that they would be heading to their next destination, and when their delivery was complete, Wendy was to join up with the rest of the family.

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><p>Erza stared at the dull screen in her hand with a sense of unease. Lucy had been in her spirit form, which made her wonder what exactly was going on over there in Era. She watched as Laxus and the Master had a conversation in hushed tones off to the corner. That was just one more thing that made her want to get down to the bottom of all of this.<p>

"Ultear, get the others together, we are heading out as soon as humanly possible." Laxus boomed over the noise of the guild. "Erza, keep an eye on the old man till we get back. I have a feeling this could take a while."

The red head nodded moving over to the Master who was watching the crowd by the door with a look of sheer nervousness. Things were going to get heated soon, of that Erza was certain.

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><p><strong>Next time war will be waged, and the royal family's true powers will be tested! <strong>

**I plan to up date with in a week to two so don't worry, I won't leaving you hanging for very long this time.  
><strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you for still reading, that is all.**

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><p>The first thing that crossed Laxus' mind was how proud he felt when they stumbled upon that damaged council room. He could feel a satisfied smirk spread across his features, soften his cool blue eyes. Half of the room was blown completely apart, allowing the cool breeze to gust across, picking up dust as it blew past. Piles of rubble were stained with dark splatter marks that for the sake of argument Laxus would later call blood. The faint scent of his cousin helped him make a quick track of her movements, he was instantly pleased with how everything seemed to have played out.<p>

"Lu took down so many mages here; I can't believe I missed this. Her progression is really something, you know." A lopsided smile that didn't quite fit the lightning mage's personality overtook his lips as he nodded approvingly.

"She did all this?" Ultear asked shakily, pulling her cloak tightly around herself to shield her appearance from view.

"That's my cousin for you, but it seems like Levy put up a good fight too." Laxus clapped a hand on the woman's shoulder, steering her towards the new base of operations. He was practically beaming with sibling-like pride, and it made the others a little uneasy.

"Laxus is like a kitten next to the Natsu and Lucy now." Gray snickered from the rear, completely missing the air of unease.

"Gray, is that really a good idea?" Jellal whispered in a hushed tone to the man walking just a few steps behind him. The ice mage merely shrugged and continued his fit of quiet laughter.

"I'm not a half breed, so what? I could still mop the floor with your face." Laxus raised a brow at the member of their party that wasn't even supposed to be there. He really wanted to know how the hell Gray had even managed to weasel his way into their little entourage in the first place.

"Yeah, yeah. All powerful Laxus will surely put me in my place." Gray drawled lazily.

"Gray, you are barely a match for Wendy at this juncture, I don't thinks it's wise for someone in your position to comment on others' abilities… in other words this is no better than digging your own grave." Meredy sang quietly to the unsuspecting ice mage.

"There is no way Wendy is stronger than me, come on she's a kid for god sake. And she's a healer, not that it's a bad thing, but healers aren't usually brimming with physical prowess." Gray took a moment to flex his pride before his whole body took to shaking as a shock ran through him. (Courtesy of Laxus who had enough of the annoyance that wouldn't stop talking)

Laxus had had enough of the ice mage's big mouth; no one was allowed to insult his family, especially not in front of his face. The lightning mage let out a crackling charge as a warning for Gray to keep his mouth shut for the rest of their trip.

"Told you so." Meredy sang louder this time before taking out a lollipop from her travel pack. Gray shot her an angry glare, but the threat of getting shocked again made him shrink back without saying anything else.

Jellal and Ultear simply shock their heads at the scene while continuing to follow Laxus down the deserted hallway. It wasn't much further before they reached their destination, and a short knock on the door brought an elderly mage to open it. Laxus gave a short greeting, explaining that Lucy had sent them here to clean up the mess she had left. The elderly mage listened to the instruction that Lucy had sent for Laxus before he pulled out a stack of papers that were nearly as tall as he was. The old man explained the situation in greater detail to the mages, and handed them the stack of papers that Lucy and Levy had instructed he prepare for them.

"I was instructed to help you with the task of reconstruction, since I have worked for the council for a courter of a century. Lady Lucy asked that I help guide the new generation through this transition."

Laxus took his time reading over the reports that were obviously drawn up by the script mage herself, making a note of just how many new prisoners they were now housing in the maximum security facilities on the outskirts of Era. A long low whistle left his lips as he read off the familiar names for Jellal and Ultear to hear.

"She wasn't kidding about making a mess, now was she?" Laxus ran a hand through his long blonde hair stopping just short of the blue ribbon Wendy had lent to him and sighed. "Right, there isn't much time to waste. Meredy and Gray will be assigned to the archives; I'm going to need a list of candidates to replace the wizard saints, as well as a roster of capable mages who are willing to work for the reformed council. Jellal, I'll need you working on informing the network of mage guilds that there has been a power shift, and that missions will temporally be on stand-by. All the Guild Masters will have to inform their prospective clients that current job posting will be put on hold for a short while. As for you Ultear, I need you to reconstruct the room that my cousin took apart as best as you can, when that's finished I need you to handle communications with the rune knights." Laxus handed over paperwork accordingly before turning back to the elderly man, who was grinning like a madman.

"I was right to believe that the chosen ones would return peace to our world. It makes my old heart happy to see that I lived long enough to see this day." Laxus thanked the old mage for his hard work before turning towards the exit.

"Hey, is that all of it, aren't you going to help too?" Gray sneered, not liking the fact that Laxus had refrained from assigning himself a job as well.

"**I** have a family matter to attend to, now get to work!" The air around Laxus practically sizzled, and Gray found himself cowering at the mere thought of being electrocuted once more. There were no more complaints as Gray wrapped his hand around the pink haired woman's wrist, urging her to move in the direction of the archives room that was clearly marked on the map he was now holding.

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><p>For the second time that day, Wendy found herself trapped on a train, only this time the high of victory outweighed her slight bout of motion sickness. She figured that it would hit her as hard as her brothers' one day, but she was more than happy to wait for that part of her new found maturity. As the only female dragon slayer she had already begun to see that she was beginning to undergo changes that hadn't happened for her brothers till many years later.<p>

"Would you sit still already?" Happy practically growled at the blue haired teen that was bobbing excitedly in her seat. Wendy only responded by sticking out her tongue before continuing her previous action. "Romeo, switch with me pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!" Happy whined at the dark haired boy. Romeo was silently amused at the other members of his team. No matter how long they had been traveling, things never changed between them; Happy would always be Happy, and Wendy, well she was something else.

"Alright, alright." Romeo waved as he got up from his seat to step over the mass on the floor in front of his feet, instantly Happy made his way over to sit between Charle and Lily, a satisfied smile on his face. He turned to the white exceed opening his mouth in preparation to offer her a nice fish when she cut him short.

"If you so much as mention a fish for the rest of this trip I swear I will stuff you in the luggage compartment." Charle held the utmost authoritative voice as she narrowed her eyes at Happy. The blue exceed gulped and turned back in his seat, muttering about how he was just trying to be considerate. Wendy ignored the two as she watched the landscape become hilly out the train window, while Romeo chuckled at the scene. Of course Happy had used Wendy as an excuse to be closer to Charle, he should have known.

A low grumble came from the mass at their feet, and Wendy instinctively shoved a heeled boot into the side of the man's face eliciting a hiss of pain from their captive. Wendy's grin doubled at the sound, she was truly having the best day she could ever remember.

"Almost there! I can't wait to tell Lucy-nee about my awesome battle!" Wendy chimmed.

"We helped too." Happy whined.

"Yes it was a team effort." Charle added.

"I kicked his ass the hardest though." Wendy placed a thoughtful finger to her chin, nodding to herself.

"Hey, I got in just as many hits as you did." Romeo folded his arms over his chest, with a small pout.

"Well I guess so, but I wore him down." Wendy's voice became more subdued this time as she turned back to look out the window. They were nearing the borders of Era already, and she could feel the tension of change in the air. It was driving her dragon senses crazy, and she was already pumped for the fight she knew was coming.

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><p>The blonde sat on the side of the hot spring, watching the sun sink lower in the sky as she allowing the steam from the water to loosen the tension in her sore body. She had played off the pain earlier in front of the others, but she knew that she was truly lucky that she had survived at all. She could still feel the burn of the whips as they slashed through her tender flesh. She could still smell the metallic scent of her own blood being spilled on the floor. She had watched the whole scene replayed through the eye of her best friend, and she was horrified by the scene.<p>

In the throes of battle Lucy hadn't realized just how much damage her body had really taken, but as she watched Virgo wrap her in torso with gauze it became clear to her just how dire her situation had truly been. It was no wonder Levy and the others were a complete mess. Lucy had only looked at herself in the mirror for a few short moments, and had no choice but to look away in disgust.

As a strong mage she was aware that she had allowed her guard down far too many times during the progression of the battle; Lucy had rushed in with a hot head before making a real plan to defeat her opponents, and that was her down fall. She allowed herself a smirk when the thought crossed her mind that this was the way Natsu must feel a lot of the time, even though he came victorious he never seemed to come home without injuries. She let out a sigh, realizing that she still needed to continue her training so that she would be able to control the amount of magic she expelled during the critical battles that she knew were still on the horizon.

Lucy was glad that she was currently alone in the bath, because that meant that Levy had finally agreed to get some rest. Though she enjoyed the solitude, she was worried about leaving the others alone with what had happened over the past twenty four hours. Especially Levy, the poor thing had been through so much recently, and Lucy knew that she blamed herself for what had happened to Lucy. No matter how much she tried to convince her blue haired friend that there was nothing she could have done, Levy insisted that she should have been able to do more. Lucy could tell that Levy still felt as though she wasn't strong enough, and she didn't blame her for it, considering Lucy herself still felt weak in the face of what was next.

Everyone involved was feeling the pressure build up as the event approached, Lucy could sense the fear mounting around her. It was becoming tangible to a point where she felt as though she were in a dense fog that wanted to cut off her supply of oxygen. Soon the blonde's worries would only double, as the paths of so many crossed once more.

Wendy was on her way with her little crew; Lucy could already feel her presence just beyond the mountain range. Laxus was disobeying orders, and was on his way as well, his arrival would be in mere minutes. It was all beginning to play out like one of the many scenarios she had been subjected to in the guise of dreams. The pressure of the next few hours weighed heavily on the Celestial Mage's shoulders, because she was well aware at this point that they were nearing the deadliest battle any of them had ever faced before.

She wrapped a towel around herself, minding the fresh bandages before making her way back into the room where her companions were waiting. Once she was dressed, Lucy gathered the others around herself preparing to go over their new plan of attack. They no longer needed to search for their objective; she finally knew where to find him.

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><p>Elfman stood panting as he stared at the pile of rumble in front of him, scrunching up his nose at the smell that could only be compare to a barbeque gone horribly wrong. He couldn't for the life of himself find where he had left the other two in his little party, but he was pretty sure it had been around this area. He had been searching for about an hour when he decided to circle back to this place, but still he had no luck.<p>

"I feel like I missed something." Elfman groaned sitting himself on a large boulder. There wasn't much else he could do until he found Natsu and Gajeel; after all he had finally gotten a solid lead in the town just over the last peak. They were getting closer, and Elfman was getting excited for the rematch. He would wait calmly for the other men to show themselves, since they must have gone off hunting or something like that. Possibly they had decided to train even more while he was gone, Elfman didn't like that idea all that much, he was falling behind, and it wasn't manly to be over powered by younger men.

He set his mind to train as well, that way if he was wrong and the other two weren't training, he could consider himself to be catching up. The large man grinned at his own logic, if he worked hard enough he could get back on par with the other, he just needed to get his ass in gear.

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><p>Erza was never one to question an order, but she had a feeling that something big was coming. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach, a horrid knot that twisted her insides painfully. This was the same as it always has been before a particularly large or important mission. Something bigger was going on, and Erza didn't like the fact that she wasn't involved. It just wasn't right; they wouldn't leave her behind, not when the situation was so dire. Erza had sworn that she was going to protect her friends, even if it cost her every last ounce of strength.<p>

"There is no way I'm going to sit on my hands while the others fight!" Erza demanded as she slammed her armored fists on the table. It was a battle cry that was answered by several other mages who also felt that they would go crazy if they didn't do something.

"There is a limit to everyone's power, go to them Erza, remind the two of them exactly what they are fighting for." Master Makarov gave a tired smile as Erza nodded. It wasn't long before she had rallied the rest of the troops preparing to head for Era. All the while Erza's knot clenched down even tighter than before, she just hoped that she could make it before the fighting broke out.

* * *

><p>"My lord, the time is approaching." A hooded figure bowed deeply in front of a tall throne holding out a large Lycrima for his master to observe. The lengths of dark fabric that shrouded the man, hid his violent tremors, as he tried to hold his hands steady. He knew from prior experience that the mere knowledge of fear would cause the master to administer punishment. Fear was a forbidden emotion in this place, and all those who served the master knew it all too well.<p>

A heavy silence followed the man's softly spoken words while the Master watched the blonde woman on the screen with intensity. The cloaked man held his breath awaiting the terrifying verdict of the man who was sure to be the death of him.

"Yes, it would appear that they are finally ready." His dead eyes narrowed as he watched the group of mages in the lycrima projection. "It won't be long now, Lucy dear, I'll take everything I've been denied and watch as you and your beloved ones **suffer**."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:: And you thought you knew who all the bad guys were, didn't you? Is it even possible that there is someone in this world of Monsters that could make even the great Natsu Dragneel quake in fear (other than Gildarts of course)? Join us again Next week as we discover what this shadowy figure plans to do with our favorite characters! **


	18. Chapter 18

Elfman had only closed his eyes for a few minutes feeling completely exhausted from his extreme training session, when the sky flashed with a bright golden hue. He squinted against the brilliance of it until the shadows of several figures made the light more bearable. He shaded his eyes trying to make out what was going on when the sounds of arguing met his ears.

"Damn it Laxus, you never listen to me!" Lucy scolded her cousin who merely laughed at her, waving her indignation off like she was joking around with him.

"Lu, you really need to lighten up, I left good men to handle the details, and I called Freed and Ever to help out. We are covered, the council will be back up and running by the time we find our target." Laxus put a heavy hand on his cousin's blonde hair, ruffling it playfully.

"That's not the point Laxus! I asked you to handle it, specifically **you**." She pitched to bridge of her nose squeezing her eyes shut in hopes of getting across that he was trotting on her last nerve.

"And miss all the glory of wiping out Zeref? Hell no! Do you really think I'd let you go without me after everything we've done to get here?" Laxus quirked an eyebrow at Lucy while he patiently waited for an answer. She floundered with her words for a moment, unable to find a suitable response for the questions asked.

"Come on Lucy, it's not like you weren't expecting him to disobey orders." Natsu added playfully, coming to the blonde man's aide.

"Laxus was going to stay behind? You're joking right Lucy-nee there's no way you actually expected him to sit on his hands while we're all here having fun!" Wendy was amused by the exchange, but she knew Lucy was happy to have everyone back together again even if she protested it at the time being.

"Are you all conspiring against me? I swear you all met in secret and decided how exactly you were going to annoy me to death!" Lucy demanded, grabbing fists full of her hair.

"Lu-chan calm down, everything will work out just fine. We have each other, and that's what matters." Levy leaned into her husband's side with a content smile.

"Work out? You expect it to just work out? We are going up against some super powerful opponents with loads of unknown information still… and you are not even listening to me any more are you?" Indeed Levy had turned her full attention back onto her husband, which Lucy tried to ignore.

"Why are you so jumpy anyway, isn't it better to have reinforcements?" Laxus hummed as he went about exploring their new surroundings.

"We have too many people, we are becoming far too easy to spot." Lucy sighed. "Romeo needs to go home as well; Macao will skin me alive if he finds out I have him with us." Said dark haired mage expressed his own opinion letting the others know that he was in for the long haul just as much as everyone else. Lucy was almost at her wits end when she spotted Elfman lying on the ground a few yards away. She raised an amused eyebrow in his direction as she examined the expression on his face.

"I got left behind somehow, didn't I?" It wasn't quite a question nor a solid statement, his expression a cross between amusement and annoyance. The massive mage was sure that neither of his temporary teammates had been anywhere around him until that very moment, and he wasn't sure if either of them had even realized that they had left him behind. Natsu rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle while Gajeel ignored the situation all together.

"They brought reinforcements, since you know where we are going now." Lucy answered with a comforting smile. She could see Elfman's features begin to relax as he processed the situation a little more thoroughly.

"O-oh, that's good I guess." Elfman picked himself up off the ground and grabbed the maps that he had procured in the town ready to share the information that he had gathered. Lucy stepped forward and allowed the large man to explain everything that was marked on the map patiently. The others gave the two some space, allowing Laxus and Natsu some time to glare at their captive who had a sash tied over his eyes.

"Why do you think Lucy wanted to bring this ass hat with us?" Natsu breathed in a way that only Laxus would be able to pick it up.

"Hell if I know, I wanted to lock him up with the rest of the scum that Lucy threw in prison." Laxus growled in a very low voice. Natsu let out a slow breath to calm his nerves, Lucy's mind was on overdrive and she was unintentionally flooding their connection with her concerns. He hated the fact that he could hear all her thoughts at once, but couldn't completely make sense of all of them since they came to him partially muddled together.

He was certain of one thing though, Elfman's lead was a good one since it was at the forefront of every thought she had. Objective number one was in view now and they were about to get into the biggest fight of their lives. He could already feel the rush of adrenaline pouring through his veins.

* * *

><p>"You've never summoned me before, what is this about?" A dark haired man narrowed his eyes at the seemingly youthful master as he bowed his head, not from respect but from habit.<p>

"So you **are** still awake then?" The question was greeted with an unintelligible grunt from the dark haired man. "You have a job to complete. You are to do so as soon as possible so that I can continue my plan." Two sets of piercing dark eyes made contact, and the room's temperature began to rise with the tension between the two men.

"I wasn't able to kill either of them when they were nothing but ignorant children, what makes you think I can do it now that they are both fully awakened?" His voice was even, but laced with venom in every syllable.

"That is simple; you will kill them with your own two hands this time around. I will not tolerate failure this time Zeref." It had been a long time since the dark haired man had heard that name, he never realized just how much a person could despise something as much as a name, but as the other man's tongue let it slip, the mage felt himself cringe in disgust.

"And what will you do if I can't, it's not like you can kill me, you've been trying to do that for the past four hundred years." The fire of hatred lit Zeref's dark eyes as he challenged the authority of the young lord.

"You know as well as I do that I can't do something as reckless as kill you, after all I'll need you once they are dead." An evil smirk twisted his almost handsome features into something cruel and terrible.

"I'm all too aware of that." Zeref growled. "Do you want to give me any other orders?" He again bowed out of habit.

"Destroy Natsu Dragneel, but bring his wife to me in one piece." The young lord folded his arms over his chest with a wicked smile. "I have something special planned for her and our little friend Bastion." His smooth voice was twisted with excitement and he let out a low laugh.

"And what am I to do with the others?" Zeref kept his voice as even as possible; the man not even ten feet from him was his own flesh and blood, but he no longer considered him as such. No, Zeref had removed all affiliations to living beings when he realized what his life had in store for him.

"Do as you wish, they are meaningless bugs as far as I'm concerned." The man flicked his wrist dismissively to drive his point home.

* * *

><p>Lucy felt a shiver creep up her spine and she couldn't keep from bracing herself by rubbing at her upper arms to fight off the sudden chill.<p>

"You ok there?" Gajeel asked from the side.

"I'll be fine once we get to a hotel; it's too damn cold out tonight." Lucy answered, waving her hand in the air to stave off his concern. She knew what it really was though, her intuition was kicking into high gear, and she could sense the trouble that was brewing on the horizon. Natsu didn't have to say anything as he made his way to the back where his wife was, he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders letting the heat from his body soak comfort and warmth around the blonde woman.

"We're almost there." Elfman called from the front.

The hotel wasn't nearly as nice as the last one they had stayed at as a group. Their reserve funds were finally starting to run low so they had no choice in the matter, they would just have to make do with what they could afford for now. With how large the team had grown, it was unavoidable to rent several rooms and everyone bunked down for the night.

When morning came, Lucy was the first one out of bed, she made sure to be as quiet as possible when taking the ropes that bound Bastion and dragging him with her into the hall. She was quick to summon her guardian spirits before taking the prisoner away from the small hotel. Slowly she made her way across town to a place where no one would be able to overhear their conversation, she was careful to make sure no one was on their trail the whole time.

"The coast is clear Lucy." Loki leaned against a tree watching as his master circled the man who was still bound and gagged.

"Thank you Loki, do you mind sticking around for a while?" The lion spirit gave a nod as he watched Lucy sink down to her knees beside the man. Lupus and Lynx kept watch on the out skirts of the small clearing so they could warn Lucy if they sensed the enemy's approach, while Vulpi took up residence against a tree opposite from the stupid lion.

Carefully Lucy took the gag from Bastion's mouth which resulted in a string of foul curses that made Lucy cringe back slightly. He wanted to know where he was, and why she of all people was there with him. Lucy decided it would be best to leave the bandana over his eyes for safety, even though the magic draining ropes were still wrapped securely around every exposed limb the man possessed.

"Why do you continue to torture me?" His breath had become labored from his lengthy round of screaming, and Lucy could feel the pain in his body come to a boiling point. She felt sorry for this man, who had once been a dear friend of her.

"What have they done to you Bastion?" Lucy whispered as she softly put her hands on either side of his temples.

"Get away from me! Don't touch me, I'll kill you!" He struggled under the restrains trying desperately to get out of her grasps, but it did him no good.

Lucy took a deep breath before she began to use a spell she had prepared just for this instance. It took an hour before she was completely finished, but when she was done the feelings of satisfaction overtook her exhaustion. Slowly she slipped the fabric from his eyes giving him an encouraging smile.

"Welcome back Bastion." She could see the tears well up in his eyes and she assumed that he was finally able to see things clearly. Lucy knew there was something unnatural about the holes in Bastion's thought patterns, and she had been right to suspect so. A deep rooted spell was coded to wipe him of every need that didn't pertain to the basic survival, magic usage, and his need for revenge against Lucy which had been egged on by false memories.

She took her time to go through his real memories now that the spell had been lifted. She could see everything more clearly now that he was an open book, and sympathy washed over her in waves. Bastion had been fighting to keep himself conscious for years, knowing that when he let go that he would be used as an instrument to defeat two of the great kings' descendants. It seemed he had been doing a great job of it till Lucy disappears all those years ago with the rest of the S-class exam participants, that was when the spell finally took over.

"L-Lucy, what have I done?" His eyes were as wide as saucers, and she could see his sincerity clear as day.

"Nothing, that wasn't really you, Bastion. There was no way you could have stopped yourself, but it'll be alright now. You're back to being you, so we can be friends again." Lucy gave him a small smile. She was relieved that everything had worked out this way, because she had really begun to believe that all the damage to his mind had been by her hand when they were nothing more than children.

"They'll find you Lucy, they'll find you again!" Bastion cried out in alarm.

"I'm aware of that Bastion, and I have to face them, both of them." Lucy settled on the ground, and dispelled the ropes that bound her captive. "Everyone knew this day would come, and I'm ready to face my fate."

The red haired man just stared at the woman he had loved since he was a small child, his heart aching to comfort her when he knew that it was the very last thing she needed at the moment. He finally had his senses back thanks to her, and here they were talking as though this was their final farewell. He didn't want that, he couldn't have her go off to face **them** all alone.

"I'm not alone Bastion." He froze, for a moment he had forgotten that she could read his heart as though it were an open book. "I need to get back, are you coming with me?" The red head nodded weakly before they both got back to their feet. The Royal guard maintained their presence, forming a barrier between the two mages and the rest of the world, all of them on high alert. Something big was coming; they could all feel it now. It had now become a waiting game to see who would be able to strike first.

* * *

><p>Erza let her mouth hang open for a moment, unsure of what to say. She tried to digest the words that had come from the ice mage but it just wasn't adding up.<p>

"I don't understand." She finally looked up from the ground to meet his cool blue eyes once more.

"I said Laxus called back-up and left. He said there was a family issue to take care of." Gray shrugged. "Can I get back to work now; Jellal expected this paper work an hour ago." Gray shifted the stack of papers nervously.

"I'll come with you; I need to ask him something anyway." Erza hurriedly took the stack of papers motioning for Gray to lead the way. Her mind was working a mile a mile a minute at the development, there was only one thing that all of this could mean, and Erza was determined to get to the bottom of it even if she had to break some eggs to get the information she desired.

They passed a room that was half way in shambles, and Erza raised a brow at Ultear who ignored the red head in favor of finishing her work. Erza could feel that uncomfortable knot in her stomach tighten as she decided to ask Gray what had happened there once out of ear shot.

"Tell me what happened here." Erza demanded, leaving no room for the ice mage to argue back.

"Lucy and Levy had to take the council by force." Gray answered easily. "It looked worse when we first got here." Gray rounded another corner and pushed open a large set of double doors.

"Finally Gray, did you get lost again or something?" Jellal asked without looking up from the desk.

"No, and I wasn't lost the first time, I just took a detour." Gray defended.

"Whatever you say, did you bring the documents I asked for?" Again the blue haired mage didn't lift his eyes from the desk as he scribbled down notes to the side.

"Yeah, I think I got all of them." Erza made her way to the desk, and unceremoniously dropped the papers on the edge of the desk.

"Be more careful Gr-" Jellal looked up in time to see Erza raise her brow at him. "Erza, what a pleasant surprise, what brings you here?" The red head crossed her arms over her chest, a stern look on her face.

"Lucy's gone after them." She stated simply.

"I figured as much. Laxus was in a rush to get out of here which means he must have realized the same thing. Unfortunately for us, I have no clue where he was heading since Lucy never told us where she and Levy were staying." Erza could hear the concern in his voice, and decided that she was going to find the blonde mage if it was the last thing she would ever do.

"You have a lycrima here right, we could try to contact her and see what the hell she's planning." Jellal was slightly taken back by how on edge Erza seemed, she had always kept a calm exterior never allowing her personal feelings to cloud her judgment. Something about the way she was acting made him feel nervous as well.

"Sorry to intrude, but I'm sure they are gone by now." The three mages turned to see the old man that Lucy had left in charge as he slowly entered the room.

"What makes you think that old man?" Gray asked callously.

"When her majesty was her, I overheard them talking about joining up with the others. She collapsed shortly after that. I doubt the little one realized I was still within ear shot, but from what I gathered Lady Lucy was hurt severely during the battle." Erza's hands clenched into balls at her side, she knew something had been off about Lucy during that announcement. She knew something was wrong, why hadn't she come earlier? She could have helped them!

"Erza, Lucy is fine." Gray tried to reason with the red haired woman who looked as though she were about to go on the war path.

"She may be fine now, but that doesn't mean she will stay that way for much longer. You can feel it too can't you Jellal?" She turned her dark gaze on the man behind the desk. His eyes narrowed in response, and he nodded curtly.

"What are you two talking about?" Gray wanted to rip his hair out in frustration, he always seemed to be out of the loop these days, and he absolutely hated that.

"Zeref has made his presence know." Jellal answered simply. "He is on his way to where ever Lucy is."

"We have to get there! We have to help her!" Gray screamed franticly.

"It is out of your hands young ones, as much as it is out of mine." The old man stepped up next to Erza and laid a comforting hand on her arm. "The time for the three kings to fight has come. Soon there will be one victor and the world's fate will be decided."

* * *

><p><strong>Who will strike first? Zeref is heading their way, are they finally ready for the fight that will change their lives forever? How will the others react to Bastion now that the spell is finally broken? Find out all this and more next week!<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

Natsu couldn't seem to wrap his mind around what he was seeing, but Lucy insisted that this was the path she was choosing. The man who had tried to kill his wife in the not so distant past was sitting, unbound at the table, having a conversation about going off to war together. The facts just weren't adding up in Natsu's mind no matter how much he mulled over every possible scenario of how this situation even came to be.

"Bastion is on our side now; he wants to fight with us not against us." Lucy proclaimed for the fourth time, and Natsu just continued to stare at his wife in disbelief. He heard the words that were leaving her mouth, but somewhere in transit they completely lost their meaning, as if someone had jumbled them all up before they could reach his ears.

"He's coming; can you feel it, Lucy?" Bastion asked, his eyes shifting from left to right. "We need to move fast or he will get the upper hand, he's stronger than the last time you faced off."

Natsu took a deep breath suppressing the need to punch the red haired man in the nose to the point of breaking. This was getting to be too much for him, Natsu wasn't known for his patience, and the fact that he was still sitting was amazing in and of itself. He looked from Lucy to Bastion, and then to Loki who simply nodded his agreement from his place at the end of the table.

"I know this isn't what you want Natsu, but we need Bastion's inside knowledge." Lucy knotted her hands in her lap nervously, knowing exactly what her husband thought of the whole situation.

"What changed from yesterday to now? You're not trying to send everyone home anymore or something?" Natsu finally broke his pensive stare, slamming his fists on the table.

"Natsu, the whole situation has changed. **He** is on his way here with one purpose and one purpose only. Now is not the time to get picky about who is fighting alongside us." Lucy wanted to go more into detail, but she knew they had a crowd had gathered, listening at the door. She motioned for Vulpi to open said door, and a pile of people fell inside, with Laxus on the bottom. "Well lookie here, I found us a couple of rats." Vulpi's smile was tight and unnerving, as his ears folded flat against his head showing his obvious displeasure.

"I suppose you all heard enough that we can try to come up with a game plan." Lucy sighed, as the others scrambled into the small room so they could hear the rest of the details.

"How long do we have?" Natsu blurted out.

"Three hours max, we need to get to a place where there will be fewer civilian casualties." Lucy answered as she pulled out the map Elfman had supplied the day before. She started to survey the area until her index finger landed on a desolate portion of the mountain range they were close to. "I'll open a gate, so we can get there faster." There was a murmur of agreement from the others.

"Elfman, I know you aren't going to like this, but I want you to take Romeo back to Era. I want you to watch over him until this is all finished." Natsu said sternly, hoping there would be no room for arguments.

"I want you to go with them Wendy." Lucy added without taking her eyes off the map.

"No way! You can't leave me behind; I've worked too hard to get sent away!" Wendy hollered.

"Wendy, do you realize just how dangerous this battle will be?" Levy tried to lay a hand on the younger woman's shoulder but she jerked free harshly.

"Dangerous? It's **BATTLE**! Of course I know it's dangerous, that's why I'm coming with you! What if you need a healer, what will you do then if you send me away?" Wendy was livid.

"We will deal with those problems when the time comes." Lucy's voice was low and shaking as she refused to look Wendy in the eye. "Wendy, you are like a little sister to me, and I will not put you in a situation where you could die." Lucy's hand came down on the table hard enough to make Levy and Wendy flinch.

"Everyone could die Lucy-nee! **Why am I the only one to get sent away?**" Wendy also slammed her hands on the table, her body shaking violently with rage.

"Lucy calm down, I'm sure that Wendy will be fine, we are all there to watch her back." Laxus piped up in defense of Wendy and the other two.

"I've seen it three nights in a row now; if she comes with us she will die. So I've made up my mind, Wendy is going back to Era with Elfman and Romeo, and that is final." Lucy looked up through her eyelashes to see Wendy's eyes grow wide.

"You are worried about the upcoming battle, of course you are having scary dreams" Laxus tried to comfort his cousin, but his words only added fuel to the fire.

"Did you not hear me say that I've watched my little sister die in my dreams? Laxus you should know better than anyone else what that means! It's not written in stone, but I'm not going to play games with her life!" Lucy was trying her best to keep her volume down, but the idea that they didn't understand the severity of the situation was pushing her to the limits of her sanity.

"Can we really afford to lose three capable mages at a time like this?" Laxus tried to keep the thought quiet, but the others still heard him loud and clear.

"You think we are here for decoration, lightning boy?" Vulpi added in, growling in anger that anyone would speak back to his master.

"Alright fine we have you guys too, but Wendy is right about the loss of our healer." Laxus leaned back against the wall wondering what they would do next. It seemed like every time they had a solid plan or lead, that the tables were instantly turned, and their group lost their footing once more.

"Right here and now, you have to make a decision; what is more important between your life or the safety of the world? If we enter this battle there is no guarantee that you will come home in one piece, I can't promise that you'll survive at all. If you are going to follow me into battle then make peace with that destiny, if you can't do that then don't come with me." Lucy kept steady eye contact with her cousin, waiting for his visual cues, when he nodded his head with a smirk she turned back to the blue haired teen. "Wendy, you need to protect what's important to you, and right now this isn't where you need to be in order to do that. Go back to Era and help protect the people we left behind."

"I don't really get a choice here, do I?" Wendy finally sat back, folding her arms in defeat. Once again she was being treated like she couldn't handle herself, even after all the training she went through to increase her usefulness. She wanted to have the right to put her life on the line like any other mage, but as she looked across the table at the hopelessness in Lucy's eyes she had no choice but to give in, for now.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but I will do what I must to protect you." Lucy answered Wendy's thoughts with a grim smile.

"A man never backs down from a battle, but protecting innocent people is manly as well so I will take them both back. I'll guard them with my life, I promise." Elfman nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest, content with his own decision. Wendy narrowed her eyes at his random interruption.

"Don't I get a say?" Romeo asked from his corner where he felt that no one had even noticed.

"No." Wendy, Lucy and Natsu all said at the same time.

"Natsu, use the key and send them back. Everyone else, get your things ready so we can go; we can't afford to waste any more time." Lucy's stomach was beginning to knot uncomfortably as the dark presence intruded on the edges of her mind. He was coming, and they were running out of time.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean old man? Who are these kings everyone keeps talking about?" Gray was completely lost, though that seemed to be the norm with him as of late.<p>

"You don't know the prophecy?" He asked slightly put off.

"Would I be asking if I did?" Gray raised a brow at the old man, becoming more irritated by the minute.

"Share the story with us, please." Jellal motioned to a chair so they could get the whole story.

_At the beginning of time the earth was created in the heaven, giving birth to monstrous creatures, god like entities with life spans that spread out longer than the life of the stars themselves. In time three great kings came to rule the land equally. Each was the master of his own kind; the mighty Dragon King, the cunning Spirit King, and the proud Human King. In the beginning they all lived together in peace sharing the land and the sky in harmony, but as time ticked by the vanity of each species grew. War broke out once a claim was laid on the very Earth they all inhabited. Over many centuries the three kings fought over the land and the sky, their heirs taking up arms in their stead. Times of peace were forgotten, and all living creatures suffered because of this. Finally, a little over seven hundred years ago a decision was made, and the kings split the skies._

"The Celestial realm and the Lair of the Dragon King, those we are familiar with." Erza supplied.

_The sky remained intact, but the creatures under the rule of the Dragon King, and the Spirit King vanished into a world that mortals could no longer see. The third kingdom was all that remained, known simply as the Earth King's Domain. It was written then by the fates that in the time of man, the three kings would finally settle their dispute, bringing about a peace that would never be shattered again. When at last the three Kings are again united, a final battle will release the world from the curse of hatred and a peace like the world has never known will arise from the One King's rule._

The old mage settled back into the chair comfortably as he finished his tale.

"Didn't Lucy say something about the chosen ones being marked?" Gray piped up; his mind was on overdrive now wondering what the hell this old geezer was trying to get at. "If Lucy and Natsu are two of the chosen, shouldn't the third King be marked as well?"

"For the Dragon and the Spirit, I can say for sure that this was the case, but for the Earth King, well, he has been cursed with waiting for the next descendants." A small smile lit the man's face, he hadn't been allowed to tell many people about this over his life time.

"How do you know so much?" Jellal was starting to feel as though the old mage was trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

"I've told you before that I've worked for the council for over a quarter of a century, I know things that would curl your toes. Before that though I was with a group of mage's who were researching the origins of our magic, during that time we stumbled on the ruins of the first Kings. I was a translator, charged with decoding the doctrines that were unearthed. Those findings seemed to have been forgotten long ago, but I've stayed here, biding my time till now. I had hoped I would live to see the day this nightmare finally comes to an end, to see the rightful King take his thrown." The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Does that mean Lucy and Natsu will have to fight one another?" Erza didn't want to put those words into play, but it had to be voiced since she figured it was on everyone's mind. She remembered what Laxus had told them about Lucy and Natsu agreeing that they would never fight one another because it would be worse that unleashing the Etherion on whatever continent was unlucky enough to serve as their battle field.

"Only one king can rule." The man answered with a wry smile, pleased with his riddles.

"Lucy is a woman, so technique isn't a king, doesn't that screw up your whole equation?" Gray interjected.

"You're right, Lucy isn't a king." Erza's eyes widened.

"It seems you understand the situation better now." The old man continued. "You are indeed right, Lady Lucy has always been the key to the riddle. Igneel the Dragon King, and Lady Layla knew this from the moment she was born."

"Natsu and Lucy were groomed for one another from a very young age, that can't be a coincidence." Erza rubbed her chin with her thumb and forefinger and she thought aloud.

"They marked one another the first time they meet, even though they were too young to understand it themselves. This is where the Earth King's plan went into a downward spiral, during the imprinting process, if Master Natsu or Lady Lucy were to have died; the other would have died as well. Now, Lady Lucy is no longer in danger if Master Natsu were to die."

"They are aiming to take Natsu out and use Lucy." Gray was livid now, even though he wasn't sure why the enemy wanted to use Lucy he knew that it couldn't be for the greater good.

His outrage was cut short when the door began to glow golden, and Elfman stepped through followed shortly by Wendy and Romeo.

"They will never stop treating me like a kid!" Wendy growled angrily to Charle who came all too willingly.

"You are a kid." Elfman added helpfully.

"Why'd they send you back anyway? Aren't you strong enough to fight?" Romeo asked in a hurt tone.

"I was told to protect the two of you." Elfman answered easily. "It is a man's duty to take care of his weaker comrades." His chest filled with pride.

"I could take you with one hand tied behind my back." Wendy groaned walking towards the stunned mages on the other side of the room.

"A man would never lose to a child!" Elfman roared, trying to defend his wounded pride.

"Lucy sent you back because she didn't want Mira to be upset; I bet you that's it." Romeo supplied, ignoring the larger man.

"Damn it, they were finally going to get into something fun and now I'm stuck babysitting this ogre!" Wendy wanted to pull out her hair.

"Lucy was very clear on her reasoning Wendy. She can see things that even I can't, so please trust that she is doing this because she cares about you." Charle cooed in her most calming voice. Wendy on the other hand was so irritated that she let off an icy mist that took the temperature of the room down several degrees.

"Wendy, can you tell me where they are?" The blue haired teen looked up into the deep brown eyes of Erza, and she could see an emotion there that she had never seen before, fear, pure unadulterated fear.

"You won't make it. The fight will be breaking out any minute." Wendy calmed her voice slightly realizing that she needed to explain the situation to the uninformed. For a moment it actually made her feel better to see that Erza had been left out of the loop as well because she was a powerful mage herself. The thought was childish, but knowing she wasn't the only one made her feel less angry.

"Already?" Jellal asked smoothly, not losing his composure.

"They are pretty far off; I agree you won't make it since they are in the mountains just south of the border with Seven." Elfman added calmly. "Along the North Western Sea." Erza cursed violently turning to Jellal who shook his head.

"It would take at least five days to get there even by the fastest mode of transportation." Gray seemed to take that moment to come back to his senses.

"They sent you all back even though they are getting ready to fight?" He could understand Romeo, and even Elfman, but Wendy had been training for this day for such a long time that it just didn't seem fair to him.

"Lucy-nee, said I'd die if I stayed." Wendy hung her head, any traces of her former anger leaving her body.

"She was wise to send you away." The old man got up from his chair and patted the blue haired teen's shoulder gently. "It is foolish to ask the young to die for the mistakes of old men who had died so very long ago."

* * *

><p>Lucy backed up against a tree, her eyes darting to the other end of the clearing. She knew he was here, she could feel his presence on the edge of her mind but for some reason he was still lurking in the shadows. She wanted to call out, and provoke him to attack her first, but she knew that wouldn't work.<p>

Even still his mind was well guarded against her usual probing. Zeref was a hard nut to crack, and until she found out his intentions she wasn't going to move a muscle.

"Lucy Dragneel, I come to you with a proposition." His voice rang out over the vast expanse of the clearing. "Come to me willingly and I will not destroy everything you love." Lucy's mouth ran dry, as she had feared this outcome. They wanted her alive which meant they were looking to break the curse of the Earth King. It all made sense to her now, her visions, the door of the damned, and the man in the shadows.

"You and I both know your orders were a little more gruesome than to take me with you." Lucy called back.

"I'm afraid you're right. I am to dispatch Natsu as well, but if you come willingly I swear not to lay a hand on his head." Zeref stepped out into the clearing with his hands held high above his head. He knew this wasn't going to go well, but he had to at least try to preserve some life in this seemingly never ending war.

"Vulpi, Loki, remember what you promised me." Lucy called behind her as she showed herself to the enemy.

"I know Bastion is with you as well. My king wishes to have a few words with him so bring him with you." Zeref watched Lucy stiffen for a fraction of a moment before she moved further into the clearing. She didn't even need to say a word, and the red haired man was at her side.

"We are going to die soon anyway, might as well go out with a bang." He whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"I fear my fate won't be as pleasant as simply dying Bastion, they don't plan on letting that happen for a while still to come." Lucy shuttered as she remembered the dreams she had while in the spirit world, the horrible scenes that played out with blood and mangled body parts flying this way and that. Of cold lifeless bodies that once belonged to people she loved. Lucy would do anything to stop that from happening, even handing herself over to the enemy.

"My Lord underestimates your abilities, but I've known since you were a child that you are far stronger than he is." Zeref breathed once Lucy was close enough. "If I die here, make sure you put an end to that man's life." With that Zeref lifted the mind block, pushing his memories of the castle to the front of his thoughts. She could see the centuries of torment that was laid on his head, and the sadness that enveloped his waking mind for what he had done in his past. His memories were painful to say the least, but Lucy bore with it so that she could understand the whole situation.

"Consider yourself avenged." Lucy whispered back.

Natsu watched the scene unfold without any inkling of what was really going on. Lucy had blocked their connection, and she was so far that he couldn't pick up the words that she was speaking. He looked to his left then to his right, realizing that her spirits were guarding him instead of their master. He wanted to cry out, but Lucy cut him off.

"Do your job Zeref, and I will do mine." The blonde woman didn't so much as glace back before she and Bastion vanished through another golden gate, and her presence was gone.

"Lucy!" Natsu couldn't hold himself back any longer. His instincts told him that he needed to follow Lucy, that she was in trouble, but he could see that the dark haired man in the middle of the clearing wouldn't allow him to follow after her.

"What did she mean?" Natsu growled stepping out into view.

"Simply that one of us will not be walking away from this battle." Zeref slide his right foot forward, bringing both of his hand directly in front of himself. "Either you or I will walk away from this today Natsu, and if you defeat me, take my life as the Queen had ordered."

Natsu swore loudly as the others came out of their hiding spots, ready to fight for their lives.

"Don't talk to me about killing you, tell me where Lucy went?" Natsu growled taking a step forward.

"The place she was always intending to go; the Earth Kings Domain." Zeref answered while waiting for Natsu to strike. "He won't lay a hand on her till the curse is lifted if that's what you are worried about." A deep growl rumbled through the clearing as the other two dragon slayers made their way to stand beside Natsu.

"When I defeat you, I want you to tell me how to get there." Natsu demanded.

"What an impatient Prince you have become, little Natsu." Zeref knew that Natsu's temper had always been his weak spot, he had watched the boy his entire life, and he knew the ins and outs of his mind better than anyone.

"Enough talk, tell me where my cousin is!" Laxus roared as he shot head long into battle. The clearing became a blur of flashes, one moment white lighting blinding all those present, and the next darkness as thick as molasses stealing their sight.

Each of Laxus' powerful punches were accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder, that shook the whole face of the mountain. For a moment it seemed as though the lightning mage had the upper hand in the battle of monsters. The on lookers remained deadly silent, watching with wide eyes as Laxus got pushed back time and time again. He would turn around only a moment later and push Zeref back in just the same fashion, though it was obvious that it was taking more energy for the lightning mage to accomplish his goal.

Time ticked past agonizingly slowly between each explosion of magic, both mages seemed to take more time to attack with every passing minute. A finally crash brought the fight to it's climax, the ground shook violently, and the heat of the battlefield burned all those who were close enough to see the flames that had broken out on the shattered earth.

Natsu and the others held their breath when the fight suddenly went quiet, the tell-tale signs of magic vanishing in a cloud of dust and smoke from the burning foliage.

It only took a few minutes before the dust cleared, showing the crowd who the victor was.

* * *

><p>Lucy walked up the castle staircase with a heavy feeling of foreboding. They were only a short fifteen miles from where she had left the rest of her clan, and she could still sense them all. Her heart ached painfully with regret for deceiving them, but she knew this was something that she had to take care of on her own.<p>

_Laxus is fighting instead of Natsu_ she thought bitterly. Her cousin never wanted to do what she had planned. She was comforted by the fact that Zeref would stay true to his word, since his only objective was Lucy and Natsu, Laxus and the other's weren't safe per say but Zeref wasn't going to kill them intentionally.

She took a deep breath to steady her rapidly beating heart once more. There was no backing down; this was her duty to her loved ones as well as all the innocent people who would suffer if this man were to ascend the ultimate throne.

Bastion watched out of the corner of his eye, as Lucy began to glow with a golden aura that he knew meant she was getting ready for something big. He swallowed hard, trying to calm his own rapidly beating heart. Lucy was strong, he knew that, but so was Maso, the Earth King.

When she opened her eyes again the two began moving again albeit faster this time. The timeline she had set was already being pushed to its breaking point. Time was running short; she needed to take care of her end before Zeref was finished on his or the whole thing would fall apart.

* * *

><p>"I want a crack at this asshole." Gajeel stepped in front of Laxus' limp body, pulling his arms across his chest to crack his shoulders.<p>

"Be careful, please!" Levy cried out as she kneeled down at Laxus' side. She put her fingers to his jugular and was relieved to find that there was still a stead pulse flowing beneath the surface. She let out a breath that she hadn't intended on holding and prepared to put up a barrier. Reflect shield was only meant to last for a maximum of ten minutes, so Levy hoped that Gajeel could end this quickly, but she knew that he wouldn't be able to do much more than Laxus, this was all going to come down to Natsu and the Royal Guard.

Levy couldn't help but worry because with the guard here, Lucy was completely vulnerable with a man who had tried to kill her standing by her side no less. It was madness, absolute madness, but Levy knew that she needed to have faith that Lucy knew what she was doing.

Suddenly the air around Levy began to sizzle with electrical sparks, and she turned with wide eyes to see that it was Laxus, struggling to get to his feet.

"This is my fight, piss off metal bastard." Laxus growled as he pulled himself to his feet. Gajeel stopped in his tracks and smirked.

"Laxus be careful, he's stronger than you!" Levy cried out. She wished that Wendy was there to provide support magic, but she was alone with three monsters who wanted nothing more than to exact their own personal vengeance, consequences be damned.

"No, he isn't. A man who wants to die will never be stronger than a man who fights to live!" Laxus dove right back into the fight, his fists blazing with electrical currents. The clouds darkened as the howls of furry reached their peak. Tears splashed down the little blue haired mage's face as she watched him take blow after blow, coughing up large amounts of bile with each hit and eventually staining the grass red with his blood.

Levy couldn't understand why Gajeel and Natsu weren't moving. They were just standing there watching as their comrade was torn to pieces. She couldn't stand to look at the scene anymore, but she knew that if she looked away she would be an easy target.

* * *

><p>"You sly bastard, sending them here." The young lord cooed as he observed the fight in his lycrima. "Even if you die now dear Zeref, you won't be able to stop the events that our ancestors have laid. Soon we will be ride of this dreadful curse, and I will rule over everything!" A crazed laugh left the man's mouth, twisting his handsome features once more into a mask of insanity and hatred. "Soon Lucy will be mine, and nothing else will matter!"<p>

**A/N: Almost there...**


	20. Chapter 20

_**I wanted to thank all of you who are still reading this fic. It's coming up on a year since I started posting it... most of that was because I had terrible writers block, and was discouraged by some of the reviews I had received. I'm glad to sat though, that I am nearing the conclusion of this story. We are only two to three chapters from the end. I can't really say that I'll be sad when this one ends, because it has been extremely difficult for me to write, but I can say I hope those of you who have followed the story faithfully will give my next fic a glance when I start posting it! **_

_**Well that's about it... Enjoy what's left of Black Dragon!**_

* * *

><p>Her heeled boots sounded excruciatingly loud in her ears as she and Bastion ran up the never ending stairway at the base of the mountain. She could see the spires of the grand palace rising up against the darkening sky in a beautiful display of fine architecture. She realized the moment they had stepped out of the gate that this was not the first time she had laid eyes of the magnificence of the Earth King's domain.<p>

She had been only a small child at the time, clinging to her mother because of the terrible feeling the place gave her. Layla had laid a comforting hand on Lucy's head, trying to calm her daughter's fears, but it had done very little in the end. Lucy couldn't remember why her mother had brought her to this place, or what they had done while they remained, but it wasn't long after the Lucy had begun training with Laxus. Whatever had transpired that day had shocked her mother into action; this simple truth was clear as crystal to her now.

The court yard was like a maze, with its seven foot hedges, and limestone pathways. Lucy nearly feared that they would lose their way when Bastion's soft thoughts broken through her barrier.

_We will make it through this, we have to be strong. _

That simple phrase repeated itself over and over in a silent mantra, meant only for Bastion himself to hear. Lucy felt her blood run cold with self-loathing, she was supposed to save the world, this was her destiny, her burden to bear, and here she was quaking in fear like some small child. Bastion was being far braver than she would ever be. Doubt was creeping into her mind, distracting her from her surroundings.

They continued on in silence.

* * *

><p>Mira Jane watched the master drown his fourth mug of spirits with a sense of worry. He hadn't said much since Erza had run off after Laxus and the others, but she could tell there was something troubling him even now. The guild was far too quiet, without their main members and Mira found herself feeling lonely.<p>

As if on cue Lisanna appeared, resting a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "There is a letter from Era." She placed the cream colored envelope on the counter with a soft smile before heading off in the direction of the only members who were still waiting for news about Lucy and the rest.

_Dearest Mira, Erza, and everyone else who was left behind,  
><em>

_I know this will come as a shock to you, but I may not make it home this time. I wanted to ask you a favor, just this once. When everyone gets home, will you please tell them how proud I am to have known them? Tell them that I loved them, that everything I've done is to protect them. Once Fairy Tail fought on my behalf, and now it's my turn to fight. You have always been like a sister to me Mira, and I wanted to make sure you know that. _

_I suppose this is good bye then, _

_Live strong Mira and tell Grandpa that I will do my best to make him proud!_

_Lucy Dragneel._

Mira's sobs brought the attention of the guild back down to earth, her bottom lip was quivering, tears streaming freely from her eyes. Lisanna was at her side in moments, taking the paper carefully from her older sister's hand.

She took a moment to read through the roughly scribbled note before she felt hot tears sting her eyes as well.

"S-she can't…" The words hung in the air, as a group of friends tried to calm the two sisters.

* * *

><p>Her sharp intakes of breath came in harsh quick successions, the exertion of running through the vast expanse of the castle's main floor leaving her breathless. Her heart was pounding painfully as it attempted to get oxygen to her aching muscles. The blonde woman had not felt this insecure for a long time, and she knew that doubting herself was only going to hurt in the long run, but she couldn't stop the flood of worried imaginings from flooding her mind. She struggled to keep her frayed nerves lying beneath the surface where her enemies could not reach, knowing that her composure would be one weapon she couldn't afford to lose.<p>

"Are you ready?" Lucy hadn't even realized that they had reached their destination until Bastion laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked sideways meeting his worried amber eyes with a sigh.

"As I'll ever be." She muttered quietly pushing her shaking arms forward against the cold metal doors.

"You can do this, I know you can." As the words left the red haired man's mouth, Lucy felt cold steel clamp down around her wrists, and the undeniable bite of a blade to her throat.

"I may not be allowed to kill you, your highness, but I can assure you that I will not hesitate to scar you." The icy voice whispered closely to the blonde's ear, she noted a sense of satisfaction in the man's voice as his blade drew blood in order to drive his point home.

"I came here to speak with your master; I have no want nor need to go against you now." Lucy kept her voice calm and even, trying to hide the unease that she felt as the iron bands cut off her access to her magic. She had no idea how this man had been able to get within ten feet, without alerting her to his presence, but Lucy knew she needed to get out of those cuffs and fast.

"Where is Master Zeref then; he was supposed to be delivering you?" Confusion was thick in the man's voice now, and Lucy knew she needed to take advantage of it before her strength left her completely.

"He sent me ahead, so he could take care of my husband." The answer rolled right off her tongue, because it was partially the truth.

No further words were needed it seemed, because the man began muttering to himself. Only moments later Lucy was ushered past the doors, Bastion's limp body being dragged a short distance away by a second assailant.

* * *

><p>Levy held her breath once more, as the battle field became eerily quiet for a second time. When the dust cleared she knew that Laxus wouldn't be getting up again. His broken body laid completely still half of him disappearing in a ditch, with his long golden hair sprayed so that she couldn't see his face. It was easy to see the wound that had finally taken the lightning mage down, the gore of it stood out in sharp contrast to the dull muddy colors around it. Blood still poured from the gaping hole on his side, further staining his white shirt in an ugly shade of crimson.<p>

It would fall to her to take care of the wounded since Wendy was gone; Levy already knew this because she was the only one with a rational head in the face of a battle. She had to make sure to use her magic wisely during this fight, because her hard headed husband was just as anxious as the lightning mage was to see this man before them fall to his knees, which would end the same way she was sure.

She said a silent thank you to the earth dragons that had helped her prepare for this day as her hands began to rhythmically jot down the symbols of the ancient dragon script. She quickly prepared a barrier that would protect the wounded when the time arrived, which she knew wouldn't take long; she was right, by the time she had a chance to look up, Gajeel was on the field next to Laxus. It took one swift kick before the blonde haired man was across the barrier lines. Levy watched her husband in awe, he never turned his back to her, but she could feel the tension of his anger pulsing off him in waves.

"Keep that weakling safe, I will take care of this monster myself." Gajeel's face was stoic at best, his whole body growing stiff as his anger grew. Levy gave no answer as she pulled her medical kit from her bottomless bag. She wasted no time, tearing away the blood soaked fabric and tending to the lightning mage's worst wounds.

The battle field was spattered with blood from both men, but Laxus' was far more bountiful. The landscape was nearly unrecognizable now that a majority of trees in the surrounding area had been uprooted, or burned to ashes. Large craters in the ground made Gajeel's advances more difficult, but he had never once backed down from a fight just because the terrain wasn't ideal. He had fought the Salamander is a crumbling building for god sake, so a couple divots would barely slow him down.

Vulpi looked over at the pink haired mage with a raised brow. Something about how still Natsu had become seemed somewhat unnatural to the spirit, but then again he wasn't nearly as familiar with Natsu's behaviors as he was with his master's. The fox spirit looked across to Loki for guidance, but saw the lion held the same stoic position, his eyes hard as he watched the next battle progress.

Gajeel held his ground for the first portion of their battle, but this was common, both men were feeling out their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Natsu watched each movement carefully the same as he had with Laxus' fight. Each step forward, every burst of magical energy had a pattern to it, Natsu knew this better than most. Gajeel grinned as he wiped a trail of blood from his broken lip, usually this was the point where the dark haired man would start throwing insults but Natsu could see that Gajeel was far beyond the need to goad his opponent.

* * *

><p>"Damn it all!" A metal cased hand plowed into the far wall, bit of debris raining down as the hand was removed once more.<p>

"Erza calm down." Jellal attempted to put a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder, but the pure look of fury she was sending him made the blue haired man think better of the action.

"Calm down? How can I possibly calm down when my friends have very possibly gone to their deaths?" Erza's voice shook uncontrollably with both anger and fear. She couldn't get Lucy's voice out of her head, that last Lycrima message had sounded too much like a final farewell, and now she knew that it most certainly could have been meant that way.

"Erza be reasonable, they have trained for this very moment since they were children. It is not your burden to bear!" Jellal said a little more forcefully.

"There is no reason in her death, in anyone's death!" Erza's voice hitched, showing signs that she was biting back tears of anger.

"Erza, listen to him, there is nothing we can do but wait." Gray leaned himself against a wall far enough away that Erza couldn't cause him any immediate pain. He was having trouble digesting the situation as much as the next, but he knew that getting worked up wasn't going to do anything but wear him out.

"Lucy-nee knows what she is doing, it's dangerous, oh so very dangerous, but she will come home with the same smile as before." Wendy threw herself into one of the overstuffed chairs, not bothering to fix her skirt as it road up her thigh.

"We are not dealing with simple mages here; they are going against the most evil dark mage who ever walked this earth!" Erza pointed out, with a hiss of fury.

"Do you want to see what is going on then?" A sleek voice came from the door way.

"How would we accomplish that, Ultear?" Erza wanted to punch the wall again, even though it would be far more gratifying to punch the person who was threating her friends.

"Follow me."

* * *

><p>Lucy coughed uncomfortable from the pressure that was building around her throat, her eyes trained steadily on a dark spot on the cool gray marble floor.<p>

"Give me a favorable answer and I'll have them release you." This man's voice had haunted her dreams since she was a small child, even if she could never remember his face, she would always recognize that low hum edged with madness. Lucy was sure how, but she had always known that one day she would be here in front of this arrogant man, on her knees no less, listening to him spout off his ridiculous notions of grandeur.

"N-n-n-ev-ve-er" Lucy hissed as she struggled to replace the breath that speaking had taken from her lungs. Another cough raked her body, and she could hear Bastion calling out from the other side of the room for them to release her. She was grateful to know he was still alive; the bash that he took to the head was certainly enough to knock him clean out, it was one more ounce of worry lifted from her mind.

"Ungrateful little worm, I shall deal with you later." His dark eyes narrowed as he spoke to the red haired man who was locked in a magic draining cage. This man was certainly not an imbecile; he knew it was useless to think he could contend with normal Mages let alone a group of the most powerful and reckless of all of them. He may be in a sense immortal, but that did not exempt his from things like pain. Yes, pain and suffering were things he knew could affect him very well, even if a dagger could not end his existence, he would still bleed were he to be stabbed.

Silence fell once more, Lucy struggled against the invisible restraints, but there was no way out of this phantom's choke hold. Black dots began to swim in front of her eyes, as each breath became more of a chore.

"Zeref must think I am losing my mind." He ran a hand through his long dark hair before kneeling down in front of Lucy. He reached out with a long delicate finger, propping the blonde's chin up so he could get a better look at her face. He pushed away some loose hair with his other hand and laughed. "He must know that I can always see what he does, hear what he says, and know how he feels. Perhaps we have been separated for too long though, and he has forgotten due to our distance."

Lucy struggled, trying to pull herself out of the man's ice cold grip, but the lack of oxygen was making her weaker by the moment. She could already feel the world start to slip out from underneath of her, twisting and swirling in a fascinating mixtures of colors and sounds that didn't completely reach her any more.

"Natsu will kill Zeref, you'll see, and then we'll go after you and that horrible pet of yours!" Bastion screamed. Lucy wanted to call out to him, but when she opened her mouth, consciousness slipped out of her grasp, and she fell into a pool of endless blackness.

* * *

><p>Gajeel coughed, splattering the ground with an unhealthy amount of blood. "T-They sent reinforcements." He called as loudly as he could manage in his current state.<p>

"You've done enough; we'll take it from here." Natsu stepped forward, flames licking every inch of his body.

"You can't take them all alone!" Levy cried out from behind the barrier.

"We will have his back." Loki called over to the blue haired mage with a sultry wink. Natsu paid no mind to the chaos that broke out all around him; his eyes were fixed on the dark haired mage whose eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Remorse and fear were so thick in the air that Natsu could feel it like a light mist in the air; he could smell the tang of it wafting around in the breeze like a sick perfume.

Natsu's features were set like stone in hard lines the flickering fire throwing ghastly shadows along his jaw and the hallows of his muscular neck. He watched his prey as he had always been taught, with calm indifference. He had to put his worries about Lucy to the back of his mind; he had to push **everything** to the back. Loki took off to the left, grabbing Gajeel under the arm, dragging his dead weight back to the tight lipped Levy.

"I can't do much with this barrier still up, Natsu please be careful." Levy shook violently as she watched her friend stop for a moment, though he didn't turn, she could see him nod his head slightly.

* * *

><p>The corridor was long and narrow with so many twists and turns that Gray found himself feeling slightly dizzy. Wendy and Romeo rounded out the end of their party, as they finally came out onto a landing. Gray could feel his jaw drop as he looked into the vast expanses of the room.<p>

Ultear was already moving further into the dim light, Gray's eyes widened when he realized where the light was coming from.

"The observation lycrima are still in place." Jellal breathed with uncertainty. "I can't believe they are still working after all this time."

The small group converged upon the large crystal like structure as Ultear summoned Wendy forward. The blue haired teen gave a small gulp before reaching out her hand to the crystal as she was told. Within moments the screen flickered to life. A large projection was cast out with an eerie glow, its image spilt in two. A gasp ran through the group as the picture of a war zone came to life.

"Is that really Zeref?" Wendy found herself unable to hold the question back.

They watched as Natsu strolled across the war torn clearing, their view obscured at points by the smoke and dust still rising from the earth. Erza could see the taunt muscles of Natsu arms flex sending a fresh wave of flames billowing from his entire body. The dark haired man who was half hidden in the lining of the trees didn't even dodge, and they heard a feral growl coming from Natsu as his blast was absorbed in a black sphere of dark matter.

"Yes, that is him." Ultear's voice shook against her will. "But where is Lucy, I can't see here anywhere." At her mention of the name, another screen flickered to life. Their collective attention was turned to the other screen.

"Lucy-nee!" Wendy cried out, seeing the blonde woman lying unconscious on a marble floor. A cruel looking man with dark hair, and cold eyes shook his head.

"It would seem that Lady Lucy has gone off on her own, to meet the Earth King." The elder mage commented with a disapproving sigh.

"Do you mean to say that this man is the third King?" Erza's cheeks were flaming red with anger.

"Shh, he's about to say something!" Wendy hissed. The room grew silent as they watched in horror.

"_Do you truly believe that you can save them this way, my love? Have you been deluded by these promises of peace, of a world where everyone can love and be loved? Darling Lucy, you must know that I've watched you through your whole existence, I __**know**__ you, like no other man can know you. I Know you don't expect to live in the world you plan to create." The dark haired man bent to his knees, casually lifting a lock of her long golden hair to his mouth. He inhaled deeply, and kissed the end of it before turning his eyes toward his other prisoner. _

"_You leave her alone Maso! Lucy won't bow down to you; she's far too smart to fall for your tricks! You are powerless before her!" Bastion's voice sounded drained, and weak, but the conviction behind his words was as firm as ever._

"_I'll silence you permanently soon, filthy worm." Bastion fell back against the wall, clutching the invisible arm that was pinned against his windpipe. "A worthless insect like you should never speak the name of a god so casually." _

_A choking sound echoed through the vast hall, followed by the raving laughter of a mad man. _

The observation run was deadly quiet, watching as Lucy twitched, on the floor. The mages watched her mouth something and her body fell limp, her chest ceasing to rise and fall. Gray watched with a sick feeling overwhelming his stomach; he had seen here like this before, where her body was torn to shreds, her life seemingly extinguished.

"_It's me that you want."_

* * *

><p>Natsu dug his heels into the dirt as he braced for the next attack. Magic sparked between the two mages like an electrical current, making the air thick. He was being pushed back, again and again, but he still couldn't figure out how Zeref's mind worked. At moments he would use his dark magic killing everything that was within range, and then out of the blue he summoned a pair of swords that looked far too big for his frail young body.<p>

Natsu allowed himself to become distracted once too many times as he looked to see the state that his comrades were in, and had to pay the price. Shining blades of gold came slicing through the air with such force that it would have cut a normal human in two. Natsu's forearms caught the blades, causing a cascade of fresh blood to rain down over the charred earth underfoot.

Natsu cursed under his breath, barely hardening his skin in enough time to avoid major damage. Off in the distance, screams of pain filled the air as Loki and Vulpi beat down the reinforcements. Neither was showing any mercy to their prey, leaving several of the young men maimed and bleeding. Lupus and Lynx were nowhere to be seen, and Levy was working franticly on the wounded, just trying to put a stop to the bleeding.

Laxus was by far the worst, his skin had gone a grayish shade, and dark shadows had already begun to rim his closed eyes. Levy feared that the eldest of them would not make it through to see the end of this battle.

"WHY ARE YOU HOLDING BACK!?" Natsu's eyes narrowed at the man's question. Why should Zeref care if Natsu was holding back, did it really matter in the end?

"Why are you?" A growl ripped from Natsu as he knocked one of Zeref's swords off into the trees.

"You need to kill me, you **must** kill me!" Desperation was thickening the dark mage's voice, so much that it seemed he was choking on his own words.

"Tell me where Lucy is." Natsu growled. Zeref jumped back letting his arms fall limp to his sides. He knew Natsu could be stubborn, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Two miles to the north and four to the east, you will find a grand palace by the sea. She will be held within the walls of the Earth King's domain."

"So you finally break free from your human limitations? You realize that this is exactly what I wanted right?" A menacing grin spread across his dark features, making him look as though the insanity inside was beginning to pour out in waves from his hot gaze.

* * *

><p>"You have no power over me, not in this form. I will destroy you before you can touch any of my family." Lucy's eyes sparkled golden in dim light of the throne room. She started stepping forward towards Maso, casting aside her fears. She welcomed the icy grip of death in that moment, so long as it meant she would be able to destroy Maso along with his family's curse.<p>

**A/N:: Yeah! I finally posted this chapter! woot!**


	21. Chapter 21

**_So, you all are probably angry with me that I haven't posted in months... right? I have to seriously apologize for that. There were several things that happened all at once, like my computer taking a nose dive into oblivion. My husband had to wipe the hard drive completely... so needless to say all the work I had done on EVERY fic I was working on went right out the window. A lot of other boring things happened as well, but that all lead up to the super long wait for you guys... _**

**_I'M SO SORRY! Any how, it's been such a long time since the last post so we shall take a moment to catch up on the story so far. _**

**_::from the beginning of book 3::_**

**_The gang spends the first half of the book traveling to the dragons lair, where they set off to train with their own tutors. Two years pass in the world of the dragons, and every member of the dragon colony comes home with a huge power boost in preparation to fight off Zeref and the Black Dragon. The dark guilds are being mobilized for reasons unmentioned, and it's up to the legal guilds to protect the country, whether the magic council likes it or not. In preparation for disapproval, Lucy and Levy over throw the council before heading back to be with the rest of the gang. _**

**_Meanwhile, Wendy returns from her secret mission to retrieve Bastion, who was once a friend of Lucy's. His mind had been so twisted in the process of being controlled that he was no longer himself even though he still tried to resist. His ocular prowess has not been mentioned up to this point in great detail, but it will come in handy in the future. _**

**_Now to where we actually left off. The group who was charged with rebuilding the council from scratch has found a room where Lycrima vision has been set up all over the country, and they are currently watching Lucy and Natsu as they both fight this seemingly never ending battles with batted breath. _**

* * *

><p><em>"Do you truly believe that you can save them this way, my love? Have you been deluded by these promises of peace, of a world where everyone can love and be loved? Darling Lucy, you must know that I've watched you through your whole existence, I <strong>know<strong> you, like no other man can know you. I know you don't expect to live in the world you plan to create." The dark haired man bent to his knees, casually lifting a lock of her long golden hair to his mouth. He inhaled deeply, and kissed the end of it before turning his eyes toward his other prisoner. _

_"You leave her alone Maso! Lucy won't bow down to you; she's far too smart to fall for your tricks! You are powerless before her!" Bastion's voice sounded drained, and weak, but the conviction behind his words was as firm as ever._

_"I'll silence you permanently soon, filthy worm." Bastion fell back against the wall, clutching the invisible arm that was pinned against his windpipe. "A worthless insect like you should never speak the name of a god so casually." _

_A choking sound echoed through the vast hall, followed by the raving laughter of a mad man. _

_"It's me that you want."_

* * *

><p><em>Natsu dug his heels into the dirt as he braced for the next attack. Magic sparked between the two mages like an electrical current, making the air thick. He was being pushed back, again and again, but he still couldn't figure out how Zeref's mind worked. At moments he would use his dark magic killing everything that was within range, and then out of the blue he summoned a pair of swords that looked far too big for his frail young body.<em>

_Natsu allowed himself to become distracted once too many times as he looked to see the state that his comrades were in, and had to pay the price. Shining blades of gold came slicing through the air with such force that it would have cut a normal human in two. Natsu's forearms caught the blades, causing a cascade of fresh blood to rain down over the charred earth underfoot._

_Natsu cursed under his breath, barely hardening his skin in enough time to avoid major damage. Off in the distance, screams of pain filled the air as Loki and Vulpi beat down the reinforcements. Neither was showing any mercy to their prey, leaving several of the young men maimed and bleeding. Lupus and Lynx were nowhere to be seen, and Levy was working frantically on the wounded, just trying to put a stop to the bleeding._

_Laxus was by far the worst, his skin had gone a grayish shade, and dark shadows had already begun to rim his closed eyes. Levy feared that the eldest of them would not make it through to see the end of this battle._

_"WHY ARE YOU HOLDING BACK!?" Natsu's eyes narrowed at the man's question. Why should Zeref care if Natsu was holding back, did it really matter in the end?_

_"Why are you?" A growl ripped from Natsu as he knocked one of Zeref's swords off into the trees._

_"You need to kill me, you **must** kill me!" Desperation was thickening the dark mage's voice, so much that it seemed he was choking on his own words._

_"Tell me where Lucy is." Natsu growled. Zeref jumped back letting his arms fall limp to his sides. He knew Natsu could be stubborn, but this was getting ridiculous._

_"Two miles to the north and four to the east, you will find a grand palace by the sea. She will be held within the walls of the Earth King's domain."_

* * *

><p><em>"So you finally break free from your human limitations? You realize that this is exactly what I wanted right?" A menacing grin spread across his dark features, making him look as though the insanity inside was beginning to pour out in waves from his hot gaze.<em>

_"You have no power over me, not in this form. I will destroy you before you can touch any of my family." Lucy's eyes sparkled golden in dim light of the throne room. She started stepping forward towards Maso, casting aside her fears. She welcomed the icy grip of death in that moment, so long as it meant she would be able to destroy Maso along with his family's curse._

* * *

><p>A roar that shook the ground beneath the whole of Fiore erupted from the center of a wall of flames that had once been Natsu Dragneel. Everything within a twenty foot radius swiftly turned to ash, as the monstrous figure began to spark with a pulsating electrical current. His eyes burned crimson as he zeroed in on his prey, a twisted smile taking over his distorted features when the dark eyes of his prey locked with his own. Any normal human would have run for the hills by this point, screaming for his life to be spared, but the dark haired mage who was currently the monster's opponent stood firm, though he could feel himself shiver under the pressure of magic energy from the other young man.<p>

For once in his four hundred plus years of living, Zeref felt himself tremble with real fear. Death was certain at this point; it had to be this way in order for the link between his life and his brother's to be severed. He had known this would need to happen in order to stop the senseless violence the two had waged on earth land for nearly half a millennium. Truth be told, he feared death as much as any other man, but he had come to terms with his fate a very long time ago.

Sacrifices would need to be made in order for the world to live in peace, and Zeref knew his life was not the only one that was to be forfeited on this day of atonement. Deep down he just hoped that Natsu would deliver a swift end, hopefully free of pain. One great blazing attack from flames as strong as what the mage was radiating would be enough to obliterate even the bones that remained behind leaving nothing but a pile of ash as proof that Zeref had once stood there.

A twisted smile marred the dark mage's face as he considered the possibility of a quick demise. It simply wasn't going to happen, not when the dragon slayer was this far gone. Anger had progressed into pure rage, and it seemed as though the Natsu he had once known was no longer present. This monster looked as though he would enjoy the pain his flames inflicted on his prey.

Zeref knew he would have to force the infamous Salamander into a corner, yes that was the only way to ensure that this ended quickly. He could not allow there to be time for him to recover between attacks, Zeref knew that it would become a never ending cycle if he did so. He needed this to end in one swift blow.

A black swirling cloud surrounded the dark mage in a last effort to convince the younger mage that he still had life left in him. It wasn't going to hold for long, since his magic was running almost on reserves, but it would give the illusion that he was still putting up a fight. This was all he needed, to convince the Dragon slayer that he was still alive and kicking. Wave after wave of flames rammed against the thin barrier, as though they were searching for any weak spot. It wasn't long before cracks started to appear, allowing ribbons of searing heat into the protective sphere.

Tears stung Zeref's dark eyes as he allowed his shield to fully break against the assault. Natsu was only a few feet away, and Zeref could see the cold expression the stole away the light that usually played in the dragon slayer's eyes. The Natsu that he had observed as a young man seemed long gone by this point, concealed within the shell of the beast that was now facing him.

Natsu's skin had gone ridged with what appeared to be scales, his teeth elongating to the point that they hung over his bottom lip. The image was absolutely terrifying, and yet the dark haired mage felt himself rooted to the spot even though every nerve in his body was screaming at him to run for the hills. Zeref suppressed a shiver of fear as Natsu took another step towards him, the ground underneath withering even further as the flames that licked the young man's body doubled in strength.

On the far side of the field Levy struggled to keep her barrier up against the force of Natsu's rage. Tears streamed freely from her eyes as she worked tirelessly at the dragon script that was all that protected her and the rest of the family from the ungodly heat of Natsu's strongest flames.

Laxus still lay unconscious, but the bleeding had finally stopped, giving Levy an opportunity to administer a potion to help restore that which he had already lost. Gajeel was in a much better state, though she could tell he had broken several bones during his fight. The blue haired mage had forced a sleeping draft on her husband to spare him from the pain, even if he wouldn't admit that he felt any in the first place.

"Kill me Natsu, if you want her to live then I must die." Any humanity that was left in Natsu's eyes vanished as the words met his ears. He released another terrifying roar before sending a fresh column of flames billowing from his mouth.

The intensity of these deep golden flames was unlike anything Zeref had ever encountered before. Within seconds his shield was completely shattered, and his clothing began to disintegrate floating like dust in the wind around him. In the last few moments of his consciousness, one thought prevailed above all the pain. _Save her Natsu, Save Lucy and the world._

* * *

><p>Back in Era a group of stunned mages found themselves practically holding their breath as the observed the two scenes. Wendy's eyes were wide with shock as he head kept swivling back and forth between the blinding flames and the glowing woman who was standing in the open.<p>

Lucy smiled at her opponent uttering something that the lycrima couldn't pick up on. She took a step closer to the dark haired man, and extended her hand out to him. Her gown billowed out around her as she moved as if she were the air itself.

"What is she doing?" Gray was the first to cry out, ignoring the battle of his former rival. "Her body is completely vulnerable!"

The statement hung heavily in the air between the mages as they listen for what would happen next. Erza fought the urge to hide her face int he fabric or Jellal's coat while Elfman and Romeo wept openly at the prospects of Lucy's demise.

_"This is what you wanted is it not?" The blonde woman stood tall bringing herself to her full height. "Leave the others be, and I'll go willingly." She only had one opportunity to get this right, and she was going to do it even if it killed her.  
><em>

_The dark eyes of the third king roamed over Lucy's body for a long moment, settling where the bust of her gown allowed a generous amount of of her cleavage to spill over. The pendent Natsu had given her so very long ago was peeking out just over the edge, and the man knew exactly what meaning the trinket held. Lucy didn't need to follow his eyes to understand the command. Maso needed proof, and her symbol of affection towards Natsu was perfect._

_"You understand that this means you belong to me right?" Lucy was glad that she was so skilled with hiding contempt from all the years of practice she got with Jude Heartfilia, because if the man standing before her could sense the sheer malice and contempt that was pooling in the blonde's stomach he surely would have run her right through._

_Without taking her eyes off of her captor, Lucy reached up and yanked the chain from her neck, breaking the clasp in the process. The small metal trinket fell to the floor, as a fake smile spread across her lips. "As you wish my lord." She bowed her head forward only slightly._

_Meanwhile Bastion had come back to his senses, yet was unable to speak due to the pressure that had been applied to his wind pipe. He desperately wanted to scream, and tell Lucy to run while she still had the chance, but the words caught in his throat. Frustrated tears rimmed his eyes as he held onto the cage bars, pleading silently that she come back to her senses._

_There was only one way to end this, Lucy was well aware, and as she drew nearer to her worst enemy she only hoped that her family would forgive her once it was all finished._

Gray choked as the small piece of metal hit the marble floor and lay there forgotten. Lucy's steps were taking her closer to this stranger, and she was doing it of her own free will. "What the hell is wrong with you Lucy?" He bellowed at the screen, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

"Lucy, please don't so this." Erza pleaded in a small voice. She couldn't bring herself to believe that Lucy was actually going to give up her life in this way. Nor did any of the others present.

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><p><strong>So there will only be 1 or 2 more chapters, don't worry I don't plan on making you all wait forever again! Feel free to PM me your opinions even if they are mean! <strong>


	22. Chapter 22

Erza reached out for the screen, somehow hoping that her thoughts would reach Lucy across the distance. It had been a long time since she had felt this hopelessly insecure, and the red haired mage hated it. She was Erza Scarlet, and it was her sworn duty to protect her precious people, and yet here she was, in absolutely no position to assist. Every breath was taking Lucy closer to the enemy, and no matter what the red haired mage said, it would not reach her teammate. Erza let her arm fall back to her side limply, her eyes beginning to water in frustration.

A general sense of disbelief was shared among the group of mages as they watched their blonde friend take the hand of the dark haired man. He pulled her in close, whispering something that the lycrima was unable to pick up on, while winding an arm around Lucy's delicate frame. The worst of all was that the smile on the blonde's face never faltered. She was radiant and seemed to be giving her host every opportunity to take her life right then and there.

Silence presided over the scene as the young man lead Lucy away from the cage, back toward the heavy oak doors at the other end of the hall. The choking sounds that exploded from Bastion were a clear indication that something was wrong. His words were garbled but his message was easy to understand, 'Don't go with him!'.

On the other screen nothing but flames were visible as they sparked with an electrical current. Gray found himself staring at the scene in absolute fascination, or possibly terror, he couldn't be one hundred percent sure which he was feeling at the moment.

After a while the sounds of screaming could be heard over the crackling of the fire. A feminine voice was calling out for Natsu to come back to his senses. The voice was strained from the effort of reaching a volume above the roar of angry flames, and thick with emotion. It didn't take long to place the voice as their solid script mage. It was obvious that Levy was at her breaking point, and that her magic wouldn't be able to hold up against the assault for much longer.

Wendy opened her mouth to voice her opinion on the matter at hand when a loud crashing sound brought the groups' attention to the hall they had descended to get to the hidden chamber.

The group turned in the same moment, unsure of what to expect.

* * *

><p>Natsu could feel his consciousness returning to him at last, and realization hit hard as to what he had just accomplished. Zeref, this supposedly supernatural being was gone, and by his hands. There wasn't really time to stop and process what had happened, or to question how things had escalated so far so fast. No, there were more pressing matters at hand.<p>

Levy's screams were becoming thick with what he would later attribute to smoke inhalation. From the sound of it, he had less than five minutes to get to her before she was beyond even his help. The fire mage fought to control the blaze that was sucking all the oxygen from the air around him, hoping that he wasn't right, and that his mind was playing tricks on him. Unfortunately he began to hear the deep throaty cough that she was fighting back, and his hopes were crushed.

How could he possibly get a hold on a fire that he couldn't consume? It was nearly impossible to maneuver flames that were born from his magic once they had left his immediate control. He had to use this newer portion of his brain to come up with something, and he needed to do so as fast as possible.

A thought popped into the fire mage's head, and he quickly used his water magic to fight back the angry flames that were spreading faster by the moment. Natsu could hear Levy more clearly now, and he began to fight his way across the clearing to where she was collapsed.

"Natsu I can't hold out much longer!" The blue haired mage cried as the script she had so carefully written into the dirt started to smoke. Natsu cleared a patch of intense golden flames, and could finally see his friends. Levy looked as though she would loose consciousness at any moment, but even still the small mage had managed to shield the others from the angry flames that were lapping at the invisible barrier.

"Almost there Levy, just hold on a bit longer!" Natsu's eyes were wide with worry, but he kept his focus on the task at hand. He skillfully put out the last of the flames, and sent a breath of ice wind towards his companions to make sure they wouldn't get burnt by the super heated air that circulated around them once the barrier came down.

The look of terror that clouded the small blue haired mage's eyes rocked Natsu deeper than he would ever admit to. The fact that her body was shaking even though she had wrapped her arms around her shoulders in a visible effort to make herself stop, stopped the fire mage in his tracks. His mind began to wander, trying to figure out what could have frightened his friend to the point she was at now. He saw him own appearance reflected in her large hazel eyes, and understood; Levy was afraid of Natsu and what he was capable of once he had lost control.

The evidence of scales on his cheeks and the smoking fabric of his waist coat were a sight that few had ever seen, the evidence of true dragon force. He assumed that any normal person might feel intimidated in the very least in his presence at that moment, though he never expected someone who knew him so well to show such open terror in front of him.

A loud groan came from her other side alerting the pair that they were no longer alone among the remnants of Natsu's rampage. The dark mane of Levy's husband bobbed up into view accompanied by a long slow hiss. His crimson eyes surveyed the devastation that surrounded the only patch of grass that remained intact. Laxus was still laying with deep purple rims under his eyes, but his breathing looked stronger. The tree line had been moved back several yards, with clear evidence of being burned clear to the ground. After a few moments he looked back at Natsu, his eyes softening a fraction.

"It's over?" Such a simple question, but the implications were so much larger to the pink haired man who was still frozen in his place.

* * *

><p>Bastion knew that his pleas were unheard in a conventional way due to his crushed vocal cords, but he was well aware that with Lucy it didn't matter. She could hear him clear as day, and yet she still continued to walk out that door. Bastion was no idiot, he knew exactly where Maso was planning on taking the blonde, and he knew that the chances of seeing her alive again were dropping drastically by the moment.<p>

He balled his hands into fists, giving into the temptation to quit. His life was at an end here as well, and he had failed in his quest to protect his childhood friend. Lucy would be taken to the door, and have her powers stripped from her. Maso would kill Natsu and the others, and take the rest of the realms by force. Tears began to fall from Bastion's eyes without his permission, but he didn't reach a hand up to stop the flow.

He felt useless, completely without purpose now that his sentence was written in stone. Lucy and the others were beyond his reach, if only he weren't stuck in a magic void, then maybe, just maybe he could save at least one of them. Bastion stared at the marble tiles below him, wondering just how long he even had left before Maso finished him off as well. Fear was creeping up from the pit of his stomach, burning his throat like a foul acid.

How had he allowed it to come to this? Had he not vowed to do everything in his power to protect the only thing he had ever held dear. 'Damn it all.' His mouth moved, but no sound passed his lips. Frustration and tension began to build in place of the fear that had taken root in his abdomen, and suddenly Bastion found himself ramming his balled fists into the floor, cursing silently.

Lucy would never forgive him if he gave up now, not in this life or the next. All other feelings slipped away as a burning determination set his veins on fire with adrenalin. He would get out of his prison, and rescue his friend some how; it was a promise made to no one, but that didn't matter.

His hands reached out to grab the bars of his prison, the palms of his hands burned against the anti-magic material, but Bastion held firm in hopes that his will would return to him.

* * *

><p>"Lucy is in trouble." The group turned to see the orange haired spirit coming in from the opposite side of the clearing. His head was lowered, his glasses completely missing, and his usually pristine suit was smoking in places where it had caught fire.<p>

"Trouble?" Levy's eyes grew three sizes as she took in the sight of her friend.

"What the hell - - are we - - waiting - - around here for - - then?" A rough voice ground out between heavy breaths. Laxus had pushed himself into a sitting position, holding on to the side which held the wound that had nearly taken his life. No one had even noticed that the blonde man had come round until that moment, but it was clear that he was in no shape to be moving around yet. Levy moved over to his side, trying to push the lightning mage back into the ground. Her actions were met with hisses of irritation as Laxus pushed her out of the way.

It didn't take long for Gajeel to decide that Laxus couldn't be reasoned with, so he helped the other man to his feet. Levy threw her hands in the air in exasperation, clearly annoyed with her husband for becoming Laxus' accomplice.

"I can't take you with me." Natsu refused to look the others in the eye as he took a step back. "This is something I need to do by myself."

* * *

><p>Lucy followed her captor down a long passageway, and onto a spiral stair case. She took careful steps during their descent, knowing the further they progressed the more moisture would be collecting on the stone slabs. In spirit form her sense were almost akin to that of a dragon slayer; she could hear Maso's every breath, smell the tang of his insanity, and see the moss that took root in the dampened walls. It was clear that they were below ground at this point, and she couldn't stop images of her dreams from surfacing.<p>

A sigh escaped her as they finally came to a landing, in front of a massive black door. The cavern lay beyond that door, for it was the gateway into a dimension that a brave dragon gave her life to seal. Anger bubbled up in Lucy's stomach, but she pushed it back down while maintaining her false smile.

So many had already given their all for this day, so many had fallen victim to this ancient feud; it was time for it all to come to an end. The line would end with her, and with Maso.

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><p><strong>Not sure how many chapters I'm going to write now, but I'll keep going till the end. <strong>


	23. Chapter 23 (sorry its been so long)

_Frustration and tension began to build in place of the fear that had taken root in his abdomen, and suddenly Bastion found himself ramming his balled fists into the floor, cursing silently._

_Lucy would never forgive him if he gave up now, not in this life or the next. All other feelings slipped away as a burning determination set his veins on fire with adrenalin. He would get out of his prison, and rescue his friend some how; it was a promise made to no one, but that didn't matter._

_His hands reached out to grab the bars of his prison, the palms of his hands burned against the anti-magic material, but Bastion held firm in hopes that his will would return to him._

* * *

><p><em>"Lucy is in trouble." The group turned to see the orange haired spirit coming in from the opposite side of the clearing. His head was lowered, his glasses completely missing, and his usually pristine suit was smoking in places where it had caught fire.<em>

_"Trouble?" Levy's eyes grew three sizes as she took in the sight of her friend._

_"What the hell - - are we - - waiting - - around here for - - then?" A rough voice ground out between heavy breaths. Laxus had pushed himself into a sitting position, holding on to the side which held the wound that had nearly taken his life. No one had even noticed that the blonde man had come round until that moment, but it was clear that he was in no shape to be moving around yet. Levy moved over to his side, trying to push the lightning mage back into the ground. Her actions were met with hisses of irritation as Laxus pushed her out of the way._

_It didn't take long for Gajeel to decide that Laxus couldn't be reasoned with, so he helped the other man to his feet. Levy threw her hands in the air in exasperation, clearly annoyed with her husband for becoming Laxus' accomplice._

_"I can't take you with me." Natsu refused to look the others in the eye as he took a step back. "This is something I need to do by myself."_

* * *

><p><em>Lucy followed her captor down a long passageway, and onto a spiral stair case. She took careful steps during their descent, knowing the further they progressed the more moisture would be collecting on the stone slabs. In spirit form her senses were almost akin to that of a dragon slayer; she could hear Maso's every breath, even smell the tang of his insanity. <em>

_It was clear that they were below ground at this point, and she couldn't stop images of her dreams from surfacing._

_A sigh escaped her as they finally came to a landing, in front of a massive black door. The cavern lay beyond that door, for it was the gateway into a dimension that a brave dragon gave her life to seal. Anger bubbled up in Lucy's stomach, but she pushed it back down while maintaining her false smile._

_So many had already given their all for this day, so many had fallen victim to this ancient feud; it was time for it all to come to an end. The line would end with her, and with Maso._

* * *

><p>A growl ripped itself from the back of Wendy's throat against her will. Something about the intruders was familiar to the young dragon slayer, though she could not seem to place their smell. The black hoods that covered the upper portions of their faces did nothing to help her in her quest to remember where she knew them.<p>

Waves of power wafted off of the gang of cloaked intruders in an all to tangible sense, Wendy could visibly see that her friends could sense it as well. Gray had taken a defensive stance and Erza had her eyes narrowed as if she were trying to read the situation on a deeper level. One thing she knew for certain was that they were extremely dangerous, every last one of them, and their little group was outnumbered five to one by these skilled mages.

This was an attack, a well planned attack, considering that her nose hadn't pickup up the scent of intruders until only moments before they had crossed the threshold. Word must have spread about the fall of the counsel's defeat by this point, and evil from far and wide would come now to take advantage of the situation. As if to confirm her mental read on the situation, the pressure in the room skyrocketed to something the blue haired mage had only felt a few times in her short life.

It only took a moment to realize what was about to happen, before a bolt of lightning struck one of the lycrima screens.

The enemy didn't say a word as they launched into a full on assault, targeting both the lycrima system and the mages that stood before them. For Wendy it felt as though the world had gone into slow motion as she reacted to the new situation. This was her redemption, her way to prove that she need not have been sent away. A feeling of overwhelming excitement began to course through her veins as she battled back wave after wave of black coated mages. Yes she had missed the first signs of an attack, she knew that her big brothers would give her a hard time about that, but she was certain that she would make them proud of her.

_That's right, **when** you guys get back I'll show you that you were wrong about me._

A howl echoed through the cavernous room as Wendy launched her breath attack, knocking back another wave of opponents. She sent several kicks enhanced with her wind magic taking down her fair share of the bunch, but they just kept coming. She wondered if there would ever be an end to them.

Erza was right on the wind mage's tail, re-quiping into her Lightning Empress armor, before hurling herself in the direction of the enemy who had cast the first spell. The room shook beneath their feet with every new explosion, accompanied by shrill cries of agony from both parties.

Gray was taking on a mob of his own, while Ultear shouted instructions to the members of her team. The Fairy Tail Mages were scattered at this point, taking on opponents three at a time. Plums of smoke from Erza billowed when she changed into her Flame Empress armor, effectively charring a good number of her targets.

The furthest from the action was Elfman and Romeo, too stunned to do much more than watch as an all out war broke out. Dozens of enemies filtering through the now broken doorway at a time, in a stream of nearly unending battles. It was not until a gravely voice raised above the chaos that their attention was brought back to earth.

"To think the Alliance would act this quickly after the council fell." He made a click sound with his tongue, shaking his head sadly.

"That can't be true, we took care of the dark guilds before hand!" Romeo defended.

"You think that they do not have a skill mage in the way of sight? I'm sure at least one of the guilds was aware enough to hide themselves or at least a group of their strongest. There are surely some of the Earth Kings men here as well." A grim smile lit the old man's face. Romeo opened his mouth, ready to give an answer when the elder man gave a brief goodbye.

Romeo was confused for a moment, wondering why the man would do such a thing in the middle of a battle field.

It wasn't merely a second later when a massive shard of lycrima came crashing down from the viewing system, slicing the crippled old man in two. Blood splattered forth in sickly streams, coating Romeo from head to toe. His hand shook as he reached out in vain for the old man, trying to help him move out of range, but it was already to late.

A scream echoed through the room, meeting Wendy's ears as the potency of spilled blood assaulted her nose. She knew that voice; it was Romeo.

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest as she spun on her heels, scanning the room for the dark haired boy. Her feet began to move without permission from the rest of her when she caught sight of his light skin slashed with the crimson of blood. He was kneeling, his whole body shaking violently, while the massive white haired mage beside him just stared with wide eyes. Fear was creeping along her veins making every detail far more vivid than she wanted.

She watched him collapse forward, his body trembling and then he was still.

* * *

><p>Levy was on the verge of exploding in anger. "What the hell d-" a heavy hand was clamped over her mouth before she could finish her question. Her usually soft gaze hardened as she turned to see her husband shaking his head in defeat.<p>

"We can't stop him from going alone, even if we fought him about it. I hate to admit it, but Salamander is stronger than us, it would be a pointless waste of time." Gajeel's callused hand dropped away from Levy's mouth slowly, allowing time for his words to sink in.

"B-but Lucy is in t-trouble!" Her small face shown bright red with the effort of holding back her tears. She looked over at Laxus for support, but he wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Levy, please." Natsu's voice was thick with emotion, he was scared, and Levy knew it.

"The longer we wait the less time we have." Loki added calmly from his position.

"So what? Do you expect us to just wait here for you?" Strands of her blue hair had slipped free, and were masking her face by this point. She was glad for it, since she knew that in the moment her behavior was no better than a spoiled child.

"Send us to Era." All heads turned in the direction of Laxus now. "We are all hurt pretty bad, and the kid can heal. Send us to Era to be with Wendy."

No time was wasted as Natsu set to work on a gateway. Era would be safe for his family, and he would meet them there after he rescued Lucy.

"Go on ahead, I'll bring Lucy once we've finished our business with that psycho." Natsu tried his best to give the others an encouraging smile, even though he knew it was only a pathetic attempt. He could tell that none of them were buying his facade anyway, so he soon let it slip into a solid frown. "Come on Loki, I might need you to help me track her."

* * *

><p>Maso had taken a large ornate silver key from the depths of his regal overcoat. He fumbled with the slick handle, Lucy knew this even though he was hiding it all from view. Without thinking, she released the block she had placed between herself and the rest of the world. She saw through Maso's eyes, and felt his needs as if they were her own. The pain of living a meaningless life for so many centuries rocked her to the core, and if she had been new the the feeling she would have surely fallen to her knees in agony.<p>

Silently she thanked Gray for inadvertently preparing her for this moment. Experiencing all of a persons pain in one go was not an easy task, to put it lightly. Above everything else Maso feared his own death, and the uncertainty that it brought. Lucy could empathize with the man on that subject if nothing else.

The time was getting closer every moment, with every breath she took it was one closer to the decision that she had made. Natsu would be furious if he knew what she was planning. A small smile ghosted across her face at the thought of her beloved husband, and his goofy nature, but it was quickly wiped from her face when she remember that she had left him alone to face Zeref.

The Celestial Spirit Mage had faith in her partner, yes, but the idea of Natsu being able to take a person's life was something she never had considered before this whole mess. He was a fighter, born and breed, there was no denying that, but he was also a gentle soul. She loved him more than she could ever express with words, and she knew the same was true vice versa. Soon she would be leaving her partner alone.

Lucy took a deep breath in an attempt to gather all of her courage. For all the times she had spouted ideals about how she and Natsu were going to save the world, she never thought it would be quite this hard. Death was the unknown, and when she let herself dwell on the subject an icy fear came creeping up over her. She prayed that when the time came that she could find the courage to do what was necessary.

A click brought the blond out of her silent ruminating, and she raised her head to see the heavy door swing open. She swallowed hard before following the dark haired man who was swallowed by the darkness.


	24. Chapter 24

_"Go on ahead, I'll bring Lucy once we've finished our business with that psycho." Natsu tried his best to give the others an encouraging smile, even though he knew it was only a pathetic attempt. He could tell that none of them were buying his facade anyway, so he soon let it slip into a solid frown. "Come on Loki, I might need you to help me track her."_

* * *

><p>Lucy followed silently behind Maso as they made their way along the deep cavernous corridor. Light was sparse since the torches had been spread out thinly along the cave walls, not that it made a difference to Lucy. She knew her way in this maze like the back of her hand, even if she didn't openly share it with the man in front of her. She had access to the map in her companion's mind, so even if she had never dreamed of this place, Lucy would have been able to decipher it from there.<p>

Thinking about the layout reminded the blonde of the dreams she had been experiencing for so long. The sight of Wendy falling in battle made her stomach churn. Sweet little Wendy was no longer a child, but to Lucy she would always need protecting. Lucy hoped she would never have to see the youngest of their little family in that sort of situation, even if Wendy wanted to fight.

That was only one of the dreams that she had been exposed to over the past year though, and every single one left her breathless with tears streaming down her face. Whether it was her cousin Laxus laying prone on the ground with a gaping whole in his side, or Levy screaming for help as smoke burned her lungs, Lucy had seen so many horrifying things that she had almost become numb to the pain.

Honestly it was enough to make anyone lose hope in a future that had a bright and happy ending, but Lucy knew she couldn't go quietly. No She was a Dragneel now, and that meant that she would finish this fight no matter how frightened she was, because there were people depending on her.

The blonde spirit mage was attempting to keep the courage that she had gathered at the mouth of this cave as the pair drew closer to the end of their journey together. A short ten minute walk and she would find herself standing before the Door of the Damned. A part of Lucy expected that knowing the outcome of her exchange might be the reason she was able to remain calm in a situation that seemed so dire. In all honesty it didn't matter at this point, even if she lost her calm Maso would drag her kicking and screaming to the place where he would call the Black Dragon. He would bleed her of power before destroying everyone that Lucy had ever loved.

She had watched a proud glowing spirit glide along these halls in those dreams, a look of pure determination in her golden eyes. Lucy wanted to be that spirit in this moment as she thought of the friends she had left behind. She continually told herself that her mission was to keep them safe, at any cost, yet fear continued to creep into the recesses of her mind. She knew she had to be strong for them, so that they could live on into a future that she could create with her sacrifice.

The only exception was her husband, Lucy's hands shook with uncertainty when she wondered about Natsu's future. She had never seen passed this point in her visions, so she had no way of knowing exactly what would come after her life came to an end.

Somewhere deep down she knew that Natsu would never forgive her for doing this without telling him first. She tried on several occasions to tell him everything, but every time the words caught in her throat. Natsu would never have allowed her to enact a plan that would cost her life, he would have insisted on finding another way. Lucy knew that he would have wasted precious time trying to find a solution that didn't exist. It was the reason that she decided to block him from their connection completely, Lucy knew that her best bet was to steel her nerves, and pretend that everything was going to be ok. She had to do this for the greater good, even if it would leave the person she loved the most scarred in a way that would never heal.

Her goal now was to keep Maso from summoning the Black Dragon, and to stay alive long enough to make sure that no one could ever use the chamber again. Lucy was going to give her everything to make it happen.

"You surprise me, Lucy." The sudden sound of Maso's voice caught Lucy off guard, making a squeak slip from under her carefully formed facade. Her slip was met with a cool chuckle from her 'companion' as he stopped dead in his tracks.

Lucy's heart began to race when his cold dark eyes landed on her.

* * *

><p>Loki had never seen Natsu so distraught in all the time he had known the young man, and yet there was something eerily calm in his swift movements. The hot headed Natsu of the past seemed to be hiding just behind the surface, screaming for action to be taken, while this new Natsu tried to focus his mind on the images he had memorized in their hotel room not that long ago.<p>

It seemed to Loki that Natsu knew where he needed to go now, which was a relief to the lion spirit because he honestly couldn't pin point his masters location any longer. The pink haired man took a deep breath before opening a new gate, then turned to the lion spirit wish a nod.

It was time to rescue Lucy from a fate that neither of them were completely certain of, but Loki could tell by the fire behind his friend's eyes that the situation had become dire.

* * *

><p>There was a moment where everything went red in the young dragon slayer's vision. For the first time in her life, she was experiencing a form of anger so violent that to call it rage would be an understatement. Wendy's blood began to boil, while her whole body shook with the effort to contain the coming storm.<p>

A roar that shook the whole building ripped itself from her small body as she lunged head long into the fray, displaying a ferocity none of her friends had ever experienced before.

Wendy's heart was pounding painfully in her ears, blocking out a majority of the mess that was going on all around her. Not that she could tell at this point, since she only had one goal, and that was to avenge her friend's demise. She tore through the hall searching for the traces of magic that had surrounded the area around Romeo, mercilessly destroying everything and anything in her way.

Within minutes the young woman was cover in just as much blood as Romeo, who lay still on the cold marble floor. Wendy tore viciously at the enemies in her way, ripping them limb from limb with her new slicing techniques. Her breath attack took on a crueler side, with her new frost abilities allowing her to instantly freezing all that was in her path. Her vision was red, keeping her from really seeing what she was doing in that moment, even the fact that she nearly sliced Meredy in two during her blinded rampage.

Through the mist and carnage, a laugh caught the blue haired mage's attention. Her ears zeroed in on the sound, to find the source smiling from under one of those black cloaks. Wendy's lips peeled back over her fangs on instinct, her body frozen as she came to a realization that she had found her target. There wasn't much space between the two mages, but to Wendy every step felt agonizingly slow and the distance seemed to go on forever.

A couple enemy mages attempted to stop Wendy as she proceeded to move forward, but she batted them back as simply as if they were mere flies. Wind began to swirl around her body, whipping her long hair like vines in a hurricane. Wendy's opponent sent a bolt of lightning in her direction, cackling like a maniac as it zipped towards her.

* * *

><p>Bastion could do nothing but pound on the bars like a child locked away in the middle of a tantrum. His voice still failed him, but he never stopped mouthing the words he longed would echo across the large hall. "Lucy come back, please don't die!"<p>

His bare hands had burns across the palms that looked as though he had been grasping a block of ice for hours instead of bars. The fingers were purple with lack of oxygen, the palms so raw that the the blood seeping down his wrists had already began to clot. Bastion's unchecked tears had carved rivets in his cheeks, as he cried out silently for his lost friend.

The red haired man was completely oblivious to all of this as he continued to try escaping from his prison cell.

He would have continued his tireless efforts, but a bright light caught him off guard. He watched a door way open, and two men step forward into the room.

It only took a few seconds for the guards to converge on the spot, and they were met with a wall of flames that swallowed them without mercy.

Bastion watched with batted breath as the two dispatched all of Maso's forces in the blink of an eye. His eyes grew wide when he realized who it was and started trying to call out to Natsu, waving his arms around like an idiot since his voice was still so weak.

The fire mage looked in the direction of the cage and then over to the thrown and that's when Bastion realized that Lucy's body was still laying at an odd angle at the foot of the platform.


	25. Chapter 25

_Wind began to swirl around her body, whipping her long hair like vines in a hurricane. Wendy's opponent sent a bolt of lightning in her direction, cackling like a maniac as it zipped towards her._

* * *

><p>The air in the massive hall sizzled with magic energy, crackling and popping as the bolt of lightning speed towards its target. The Fairy tail mages called out to Wendy, each with a warning that the blast from an attack like that would kill her, their words unfortunately were lost once they hit Wendy's wind barrier. Erza realized this when the younger woman made no attempt to calm her companions' fears.<p>

The enraged young mage was sick of losing people she cared about, sick of being underestimated, sick of thinking of herself as weak. There was only one way to take back her power now, she was going to destroy this man. A menacing grin spread across her chapped lips as she inhaled the barrier she had formed, it was time to show how much her abilities had changed over the time she spent training.

"Do you think you can take a hit directly **little girl**?" The mirth in this man's voice sent Wendy to a new level of rage, as she lowered herself into a crouching position.

"Glacial wind, freezing breath attack!" With the force of an arctic blast, the wind sped towards its target, knocking everything in its path up against the granite walls. The floors underfoot froze along its path, and as it met with her enemy's bolt of lightning, it too became coated in a thick layer of ice. The bolt dropped to the floor and skidded to a stop right at Wendy's feet. "You will pay for what you've done." Her voice was rasping and harsh, but confident.

The opposing mage was frozen to his spot, icicles hanging from his chin and hair, his eyes were frozen open so he could see then next attack as it came. Wendy stood at her full height running straight ahead. As she neared her target she released a swift wings attack that shattered his body into a million pieces spreading him across what remained of the great hall.

When Wendy looked up, coming out of her rage, she saw the last of the enemy tripping over one another to escape the same fate. Wendy had most likely disposed of their leader, making the battle look fatal to anyone else who might go against her. The second the room was clear, the wind mage twirled on her heels, racing across the ruined floor and ice in a blur of blue.

"It not too late, I can still save you."

* * *

><p><em>The fire mage looked in the direction of the cage and then over to the thrown and that's when Bastion realized that Lucy's body was still laying at an odd angle at the foot of the platform.<em>

* * *

><p>Nothing in the world could describe the sound that erupted from the fire mage as he raced to the site of his wife's prone figure. Bastion watched with wide eyes, trying desperately to call out to Natsu , he needed to explain that Lucy wasn't dead, that she had left with Maso. He choked on his words, bright red blood staining his lips, be he managed one phrase "Spirit form!" It was the last thing he could do for her; Natsu was the only person who could save her know.<p>

The black that had been creeping into his vision finally over powered his senses, and he fell into a deep sleep with a sense that he had kept his promise the best he could.

Loki looked pensive as he walked over to the cage. When he made eye contact with Natsu once more he understood what was happening.

"Freeze her, we need to catch up quick."

Natsu took a deep breath, holding the limp shell in his arms. He knew that Lucy wouldn't go down so easy, but the sight of her body like this shook him to his core. He picked her up, and tucked her body behind the podium, she would be safer out of view, just in case there were other soldiers the two had missed. It only took a minute to case her in clear ice, yet it was long enough for Natsu to regain his composure.

"I can feel her, she isn't far." Loki straightened his tattered coat, and pointed to the door way.

"She is somewhere strange, I can't seem to call out to her." Natsu knew that she had released the mind block just before they had come through the gate, it was how he knew where to go. He could feel her fear, but her actual thoughts were like echoes in the distance. He focused, and listened as hard as he could. Silence.

Loki shifted uncomfortably as he watched his friend curse himself, the thought crossed the spirit's mind that Natsu could just track her down by scent, but as he opened his mouth to make the suggestion, Natsu took off at blazing speed.

"Found her!"

* * *

><p><em>"Send us to Era." All heads turned in the direction of Laxus now. "We are all hurt pretty bad, and the kid can heal. Send us to Era to be with Wendy."<em>

_No time was wasted as Natsu set to work on a gateway. Era would be safe for his family, and he would meet them there after he rescued Lucy._

* * *

><p>When Levy stepped from the gateway, she did not expect to see a massacre, yet there it was, dozens of bodies lying lifeless on the icy floor. She slid a little as she stepped forward, and would have fallen if it weren't for Gajeel's steadying grip on her waist.<p>

"What happened here?" He spoke in her place, looking around the same as she had.

"Looks like the kid's work to me." Laxus said with a whistle, and a wince. "Looks like she lost it a bit."

"We better find her then; she could be in bad shape right now." Levy tried not to think of Natsu's rampage, or compare it to this situation, but the thoughts rose in her mind against her wishes. She began to shake, secretly wondering if their training had affected them all this badly.

"They're over that way." Gajeel pointed towards the remaining lycrima spheres that floated in the distance after a long sniff of the air. "Let's go, something smells wrong here." The other two nodded, and they slowly made their way to the others, Laxus leaning heavily on Gajeel for support.


	26. Let it end with me

Natsu raced down the hall at a speed Loki couldn't match. To be honest he didn't have much magic left, he looked at his hand, and they were beginning to fade in and out of reality. The spirit was afraid this would happen, but at least he managed to stay longer than the other spirits.

"Natsu, my time is up." Loki called ahead. "Save her Natsu, you're the only hope she has left."

Natsu didn't slow up, or show any signs that he had heard Loki's plea. Lucy's presence was getting further away again, but there was nothing Loki could do any more. He unwillingly let himself slip from the world his friends were fighting in, hoping his magic would replenish before the battle was over.

* * *

><p>Wendy sat on the ice cold floor, tears streaming from her dark eyes. She was relieved to see that the blood her friend was covered in didn't belong to him, and she knew that was horrible. Only a few steps away there was a mangled corpse that was unrecognizable, except to the dragon slayer's nose.<p>

Romeo started to open his eyes, blinking up at the blue haired girl for a long minute. Sense seemed to be returning to the small wind mage, because she held herself from encasing the boy in a death grip. She couldn't look him in the eyes, her whole body trembling with the force of her despair.

She had killed someone in her rage, she had taken a life in her blind fury. She wanted to feel happy that her dear friend was there, breathing, living, but the guilt stole away her happiness.

"H-hey, it's ok now." The warmth of his hand on her cheek shocked her. He was wiping at tears she didn't realize she had been sheading. "It's over."

It was all it took to break her resolve, her arms came to wrap around the boy tightly as she wept her heart out. Wendy stammered about how she had thought he was dead, how it made her feel so hopelessly enraged. She stammered out that she would never let him get hurt ever again.

Romeo was shocked; he didn't really know what to do in the situation. He gazed up at the group of Fairy Tail mages that surrounded them, silently pleading for help. He was greeted with sighs of relief. Erza was giving an encouraging smile, Gray nodding.

He hesitantly reached his arms to circle the crying female, working slow circles into her shoulder blades in an attempt to calm her tears. Once her tantrum begun to slow he looked up once more, this time noting that there were more people in the circle.

They looked badly injured, causing him to inhale sharply. Wendy didn't miss the change in his demeanor, and immediately turned, ready for a new threat.

"Hey squirt." Gajeel said weakly, as he side stepped her well placed punch.

"When did…" Her words trailed off when she realized that they were all injured, adding to the heady scent of blood that already had her sense on over load.

Gajeel slowly lowered Laxus to the floor, mindful of the wound to his ribs. "Doesn't matter, Levy fixed him up the best she could, but he'll need you if he wants to be able to breath normally again." It was only a moment later that Levy succumbed to her exhaustion, going down to her knees.

"What the hell happened to you?" Elfman let out without thinking.

"It's done, Zeref is dead." Laxus muttered weakly.

"It's not over, Acnologica is still out there, and Lucy is gone." Gajeel huffed, brushing back the hair from his wife's face. "Natsu can't fully control his powers either." That comment was geared towards Wendy. She looked up from Laxus questioningly.

Levy stirred, fighting back the fatigue. "He lost himself in the fight, nearly killed us all." Laxus answered dryly. "At least that's what Levy said on the way here."

Said blue haired mage sat up at that. "I've never seen him so angry, but I guess that's why Lucy left the why she did. She knew he needed to snap or he could do what needed to be done." A deep throaty cough accompanied her words. "Lucy always seems to be 2 steps ahead of us these days." She smiled weakly.

Slowly a light flickered from the surviving lycrima screens behind the group, and voice echoing in the massive space.

_"Dammit all to hell, if you die before I get there I will bring you back and kill you myself!"_

* * *

><p>Lucy's breath hitched, as he reached out an ice cold hand to grab her bicep. Every instinct in her screamed for her to run, to call out to Natsu, to do something, anything; she fought them all back. A smile came back to her face slowly as she took her time figuring out what he meant.<p>

"How do you mean, my lord?" Her voice was calm and even, not daring to give away her turn intentions.

"I'd have thought you would be fighting tooth and nail to protect your precious Fairy Tail. It is surprising that you are willingly walking straight to the demise of everything you hold dear." He released her arm, laughing like the maniac he was.

"I am aware of what your plan is, and I **will** stop you." Her words were greeted with a back handed slap across the face.

The ground shook underfoot, a blast of air pinned her down to the floor.

"You'll do no such thing, woman." The light nature he had held to this point vanished. "Magic doesn't work here, not for you or anyone else!" He spat the words out like venom in his mouth.

"That doesn't matter really; you have no powers to nullify." Lucy's eyes flashes as she wiped the line of blood from her broken lip. "I **will **stop you no matter if I have my powers or not."

* * *

><p>Natsu rushed forward, following the faint traces of scent that Lucy's Spirit form left behind. He was getting closer. He barreled through a locked door, his body engulfed in flames. He took the slick stairs two at a time, filling the air with steam as the heat radiating off of him evaporated the wetness on the stone surfaces.<p>

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.

.

All eyes were glued to the screen, watching as Natsu rushed off in search of his wife. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Levy was sobbing into the front of Gajeel's shirt, knowing that Lucy had resolved to die for them all.

Natsu wouldn't have said something like that unless he knew that was her plan.

She prayed that he would get there in time.

He just had to get there, she couldn't imagine losing her blonde friend after they had all worked so hard to defeat their enemies.

.

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.

Wendy was holding her tears back at this point, trying to only focus on the task of healing Laxus' internal organs.

She tried her best not to look at the screen; she didn't want to see her big brother like this.

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.

Gray took stock of the injuries that Natsu had sustained during his battle with Zeref. At first glance he looked fine, but for Gray a man who had seen Natsu get the crap beaten out of him more times than he cared to recall, it was obvious that he had a broken rib if not more.

Blood had been running down his arm since the battle with Zeref, the cuts weren't especially deep, but Natsu hadn't stopped to treat them. His loss of blood must have been great.

.

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Erza bit her bottom lip as Natsu skidded to a stop, knowing that Lucy must be just beyond it.

Was he in time?

Was the blonde still alive or had she been slain the way this Maso character had predicted?

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Natsu reached out and pulled the door open, revealing a passage that felt wrong.

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Every head turned to the screen, holding their collective breath as Natsu disappeared through the door.

"That must be the entrance to the caves Lucy talked about." Levy breathed.

"That means they are heading to the door of the damned." Wendy's eyes widened.

"Lucy's prophecy, but we are all here, alive and well." Happy called out for the first time.

"It is possible to change a prophecy." Ultear mumbled in awe.

"She can't die." Erza's voice was low, but marred with tears. "Neither of them is allowed to die."

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* * *

><p>Natsu picked up the pace, rushing as fast as he could towards the noise up ahead. His whole body was shaking in fear.<p>

He was getting closer now, he could begin to feel her, their connection growing stronger. He turned a sharp corner, and just up ahead he saw her laying on the ground, wiping blood from her bottom lip.

"I **will **stop you no matter if I have my powers or not."

Maso's hand was poised for another strick, until the whole cavern shook, a wail coming from up ahead made Lucy want to cover her ears. The anger melted away from Maso, quickly replaced with a new intensity of madness.

"He's here." Lucy's eyes widened. Silently she muttered to herself that he hadn't summoned the creature, how was it possible for him to be here?

Acnologia the black dragon specialized in killing other dragons. He was the purest evil that still existed in this world. She couldn't defeat a being that strong, even if she really did have a life time to prepare for it. The only person who would stand a chance was Natsu, and she didn't want him here.

"Come along woman, we have preparations to attend to."

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She got to her feet, knowing that they were no longer alone, she could feel his presence growing stronger with every passing moment.

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"You came." She said softly.

Maso turned to look at her, unsure of what the woman was talking about.

"I came to bring you home."

The dark eyes of the Earth King widened, fear billowing off him in waves. Maso moved to grab Lucy, using her as his shield.

"I'm not coming home, there won't be a home to go back to unless we beat them." Something dangerous ran across the soft gaze of her golden eyes.

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That's when he realized why Lucy had chosen her spirit form, this place wouldn't affect creatures like them. He took a deep breath as her hand sparkled, her favorite sword materializing before his eyes. The next few seconds happened in slow motion as realization dawned on the pink haired man's face.

"Defeat Acnologia, make my death mean something." Before Natsu could move, before words could leave his lips Lucy had already driven the blade upward through her own body, straight through the heart of her captor. "I'll always love you."

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Blood was bubbling up in her mouth.

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"No, I'll heal you!" Natsu cried out. He knew that time was limited, her coughs staining her lips red.

"You can't, remember this sword's power. –cough- You have to –cough- kill the dragon." Her breathing was becoming more labored by the moment.

"You can't do this to me." Tears were streaming down his face. "You promised when this was over that you'd take over for gramps. You promised that we would move into a house in town and start that family that you wanted. You PROMISED!" Lucy felt the pain of his emotions swirl around her as her eye lids began to drop.

"Take my sword." she coughed again.

Natsu watched her eyes begin to go dull, her light flickering. He pulled, the sickly sound of her ribs cracking as he released it from her body.

A soft smile curled her blood stained lips. She reached her hand up one last time giving Natsu one last present before leaving him.

"The phoenix, -cough- Phoenicis, h-holds Uranometria's f-full power." She couched again. "Only use it if you are going to die, -cough- because that is the price." She whispered, before breaking into floating lights.

Her essence floated, flickering around Natsu sob raked body.

A roar of sorrow erupted from deep inside him, shaking the tunnels just as harshly as the black dragon's call.

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Something broke inside the dragon slayer. His hand wrapped about the hilt of the blade that had taken his precious Lucy away in one hand, and dragged the corpse of the Earth King along the passage way.

A roar called back through the cavern, leading Natsu to his own destiny. He would slay the dragon, he would die doing it so he could be with her once more.

"Wait for me Lucy." He muttered before opening his eyes, tears streaming freely down his cheeks.

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Soft lights danced their way from the dungeon, slowly making their way to the main hall.

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There was a click, releasing the lone prisoner from his cage.

The red haired man stared, his body growing warm as the soft glow touched his wounds.

The ghost of a whisper carried on the wind cried out to him.

_Help Natsu, don't let him die._

_._

_._

_._

Bastion didn't know how, but he knew where to go. He traveled down the hall, staggering at points, but he managed to pull himself back up every time.

At some point he began to notice that his path was covered in scorch marks, making the air thick with the smell of brimstone.

The misty light flickered on and off beside him, as if encouraging him to move on, when the ground began shaking. He could hear that a battle was raging down the dark cavern he had just entered. Dust and bits of rock showered his head with every shock wave.

As he neared the end of the passage, he could see the end of the fight.

Natsu plunged the blade deep into the heart of the massive beast, a cry of pain escaping one last time as the creature toppled over.

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Natsu was satisfied with that, her final wish fulfilled.

He was letting go of everything, as he pulled her blade back from the chard breast plate of the dragon's hid.

In the end his anger was strong enough to overpower his foe, without using Lucy's trump card.

He wouldn't walk away from this unscathed, if he managed to walk away at all.

The battle had been fierce, leaving Natsu barely alive.

"I'm coming soon Lucy." He called out before collapsing into a puddle of blood.

* * *

><p>The screen flickered back on, following the limp figure being carried back up the stairs. His hair was stained as red as the man who was carrying his friend up the passage. His body was broken, bruise that were an ugly color of purple coating his face and exposed mid section.<p>

"Jellal, go." It was a demand, hollow and absolute from the sobbing red haired woman. "Bring them home."

Wendy was on her feet, rushing over to the taller man. Silent tears streaming from her dark eyes. Jellal nodded looping his arm around the young girl, and they were off.

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Bastion laid Natsu down on the floor of the grand hall, turning to retrieve Lucy's body from their hiding place. He set her down next to Natsu unmoving form. Tears creeping down his face.

"I promised to protect you." He breathed. "I'm so sorry Lucy."

His strength seem to run out at that point, and he collapsed on the ground beside his childhood friend.

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Jellal and Wendy entered the room in a flash of light. The young woman run to her family, wailing in sorrow as she threw herself at the pair.

The other mage worked his magic, ready to transport them all home, back to Fairy Tail.


End file.
